My Everlasting Support
by Shantel Lukasik
Summary: The Crest Family meets the Pevensies at the Professors and goes to Narnia with them. What part do they have to play there? How do they ironically have the same ages and amount of siblings? Mostly about the boys PeterxOC EdmundxOC
1. Meeting

The train rattled its way loudly down the tracks, keeping the Crest children from being able to fall asleep. They were one family of children among the many who were leaving England because if the air raids. Cathleen, the eldest sibling looked out the window as the scenery went by. Her first younger brother at age fifteen, Kenneth was busy scribbling in the journal that their mother had given them before leaving. She wanted him to keep writing about all the adventures they had while they were away from home. The children had refrained from commenting that no adventures could possibly happen while they were away. Karen Crest, the third sibling, sat in a corner of the compartment to herself. Her arms were wrapped around her body as if to keep herself together. She was a lonely girl and had dealt with a lot over the years for only being thirteen. Cathleen had done the best she could to shield Karen from being picked on, being sixteen and a bit of a intimidating force to those who picked on her little sister, but it had not worked as well as she would have hoped. Karen was now very quiet and reserved and outside of the family had no real friends. The youngest and most curious sibling of the Crest family was hugging a stuffed lion to his chest that their father had given him before going off to war. James was spoiled to death, but was one of the sweetest kids. He was ten years old and he loved to share all he received, even all the love that he was given.

Slowly, the scenery of the countryside began to be more visible. The train slowed down and soon the whistle blew telling that children that they were at their stop. Cathleen herded her younger siblings off the train with another family consisting of only children and no parents. The eldest was a boy with golden hair and an air of authority over his younger siblings. The eldest girl had the same authoritative air, but she had a look of someone who is a know-it-all. The younger boy of the family had an unappealing scowl on his face. He seemed the type that caused trouble more than he should. The youngest of the siblings was a young girl with short brown hair. She clung onto her eldest brother's hand as she looked nervously around. The oldest turned and his eyes locked with Cathleen's. She took a step forward and addressed him as the train left them.

"Excuse me, but…are you the other family of kids staying with the Professor?"

The boy smiled at her and nodded. He extended a hand to her. She took it.

"I'm Peter Pevensie. These are my siblings Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. You're the Crest Family?"

"I'm Cathleen. This is Kenneth, Karen, and James. It is nice to meet you. Well…"

She flinched a little, remembering what was going on back home. Peter nodded.

"It is nice to meet you as well, under the circumstances."

The group heard the hooves of horses coming up the path from behind the train stop. Running down the stairs they saw a middle aged woman in a horse drawn wagon riding up the path toward them. She stopped before them and looked at each one, studying them. She had a frown on her face as the kids stared back at her.

"Mrs. Macready?" Peter asked.

"I'm afraid so," she responded," Come on. Into the wagon."

The eight children made their way up into the tiny wagon and packed themselves together.

"OW!" complained Edmund as Karen tripped over his foot," Watch it."

"Sorry," Karen mumbled.

"Ed, leave her alone. She didn't mean any harm."

Edmund pouted at his older brother's reprimanding. The trip to the Professor's house was uncomfortable, but the scenery was beautiful. There were grassy hills scattered across the landscape and gigantic trees lined the dirt road on which they traveled, shadowing them under the abundant foliage. Soon, they arrived at a large, brick mansion.

"Wow," Cathleen murmured for the whole group.

Mrs. Macready stopped the wagon in front of the mansion and let the children out of the wagon.

"Don't move. It'll be back to let you all in," she glared down at them.

She led the horses to what they assumed to be a stable somewhere behind the house. While waiting, Lucy tugged on Peter's hand.

"Peter, I want to go home," she told him," She is scary."

"Lu, we can't right now," he told her, squeezing her hand.

James turned to his eldest sister for confirmation of what Peter said, and he got it as Cathleen looked down at him and gave him a sad smile.

"Everything with be alright. You'll see," she told the younger children.

Mrs. Macready came back around the house and ushered the children inside. After a tour around the house with an education on the rules for their stay, she left them to sort out their things. The girls were in one room and the boys in the one next door. After the boys had finished unpacking, they went over to the girls' room. It had gotten dark and the youngest were put in their night clothes. Lucy was tucked into bed and James sat on Cathleen's lap.

"These sheets feel scratchy," Lucy complained to Peter, who went and sat down on the edge of her bed.

Susan stood at the foot of the bed beside Karen and smiled at her sister.

"Wars don't last forever, Lucy. We'll be home soon."

Edmund walked in only just having changed into his pajamas.

"Yeah, if home's still there."

James looked up at Cathleen in alarm, but she only shook her head at the comment. Susan turned to her brother with a scowl.

"Isn't it time you were in bed?"

"Yes, Mum."

Karen moved over and sat in the armchair by the window. She looked out at the darkness and sighed.

"It'll be over soon. Mum and Dad promised. They never lie."

Edmund rolled his eyes at her.

"Yes, because mothers and fathers never lie and tell children things just to make them feel better."

Karen turned to glare at him and he just sniffed and walked out of the room. Peter looked at Cathleen and Kenneth with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, he's a bit of a pain."

The eldest Crests just waved their hands in understanding. Karen tried to diffuse into the chair as much as possible. She wasn't feeling too great about dealing with another mouthy bully. Especially since she'd be living with him for who knew how long. Cathleen set James to stand and she got up and took his hand.

"This place is huge. We'll find tons of stuff to do and have a lot of fun."

Peter nodded in agreement.

"It'll be fun. Now bed time, Lu."

As her siblings tucked her in, Cathleen and Kenneth hugged Karen goodnight before taking James over to the boy's room to tuck him in.


	2. Wardrobe Malfunction

To all their dismays, it rained the next day. All eight children sat in the living room. Susan, Peter, and Kenneth were playing the "Define the word" game, which was hardly any fun for them. Cathleen sat listening to them while James played with his stuffed lion. Edmund was busy trying to carve his name into a chair leg and Lucy sat next to Karen by the window. While Kenneth was trying to define a word, Peter looked at James.

"Does your lion have a name?" he asked, grinning at the young boy.

James shook his head and continued playing. Peter looked up at Cathleen.

"He does speak, doesn't he?"

"He's just shy around new people. He'll open up eventually."

"Ah…"

Lucy moved over to Peter and shook his arm.

"Peter, I want to play hide and seek," she said, giving him a puppy dog pout.

James looked up from his lion and stared at Peter and Lucy. Cathleen caught Peter's eyes.

"But we're having so much fun here…"

"Come on, Peter, please."

He hesitated. Cathleen completely understood the feeling of wanting to keep your sibling happy, so she wasn't surprised when he started counting. Edmund complained, but everyone got up and tried to find a hiding spot. Kenneth found an alcove that was hidden by a suit of armor. Susan jumped into an empty chest. Karen hid under a couch with tall legs and Cathleen hid below one of the beds. Edmund stole Lucy's hiding spot from behind a curtain. Lucy dashed off, James hot on her hells. Just as Peter finished counting, everyone heard Lucy and James come running around the corner.

"It's alright, I'm back. I'm alright."

"Shut up, he's coming," Edmund muttered, just as Peter came around the corner.

"I don't think you three quite get the idea of this game…"

Everyone moved out of their hiding places to see what was going on.

"Weren't wondering where I was?" James asked, as his siblings came into view.

"Uh, that's kind of the point, "Edmund sighed," that's why he was "seeking" you."

Lucy and James looked completely confused.

"We've been gone for hours," Lucy said.

"We went into the wardrobe and we met a fawn and had tea and…it was nighttime before we came back," James added.

Cathleen ruffled his hair.

"I give the two of you credit for coming up with such an imaginative story in the course of about two minutes. What is a fawn?"

Lucy grabbed Peter's had.

"No, really! Come see. There is a wood in the wardrobe."

They followed the youngest children to a spare room with only a wardrobe in it. The place was dusty from lack of use and an annoying fly was buzzing on the windowsill of the only window in the room. Susan opened the wardrobe and knocked on the back wall of it. Kenneth knocked from the other side.

"One game at a time, Lu. We don't all have your imagination. It's alright for you and James to pretend like that, but remember it isn't real."

Kenneth put a hand on James's back and started moving him out of the room with the others, but he pulled away. He and Lucy looked very frustrated.

"But I wasn't imagining," Lucy yelled.

"That's enough, Lucy."

"We wouldn't lie about this!" James added.

Cathleen and Peter exchanged glances as Edmund stepped toward them.

"Well, I believe you."

The two looked surprised.

"You do?"

"Yeah, of course. Did I tell you about the football field in the bathroom cupboard?"

There was singular sigh from those listening.

"Oh, will you just stop?"

Peter advanced toward his little brother.

"You just have to make everything worse, don't you?"

"It was just a joke!"

Cathleen stepped toward and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Peter…"

"When are you going to learn to grow up?"

"Shut up! You think you're dad, but you're not!" Edmund shouted and stormed out of the room, shoving Karen in the process.

Kenneth caught her and put an arm around her shoulder. Peter turned and looked up at Cathleen, who gave him a sympathetic look. Susan left with Kenneth and Karen.

"It really was there, Cat," James said, trying to convince her.

"Susan's right, James. That's enough."

She and Peter left the kids to themselves. As they headed back to the living room, Cathleen glanced behind her.

"Do you think…they hallucinated due to something in one of the dusty rooms?"

"I don't think so…" Peter replied.

"Edmund is a handful, isn't he?"

Peter sighed. They reached the living room and sat down. They didn't know where everyone else had gone.

"He's been in such a rebellious stage since our dad went and joined the war. If I was old enough, I would, too."

Cathleen looked out the window at the still pouring rain.

"That has to be hard. I'm sorry. Maybe we just need a way to distract them…this place is pretty strange. They were bound to come up with some story for imaginative games."

Peter grinned at her.

"It's kind of nice, having someone to talk to about taking care of siblings. Though, I admit I need to find an easier way of handling Edmund."

"Maybe just a little."

Cathleen looked at Peter really for the first time. He was nice and caring, but sometimes showed his feelings a little too sternly for his younger siblings. He was quite good-looking as well. She stood up and smoothed out her skirt.

"I think tomorrow we need to find a better outlet for the little ones. Hopefully the rain goes away."

Peter nodded and got up. They both went to find their brothers and sisters.

Late that night, shouting could be heard from the boy's room. Susan, Karen, and Cathleen went over to the boy's room to find Lucy waking up Peter and James bouncing on Kenneth's bed to wake him up. They were once again declaring that what they had seen was really in the wardrobe. Edmund stood in the corner looking around at everyone. Karen frowned at him and stood slightly behind her big sister.

"We saw Mr. Tumnus again and this time Edmund went, too," Lucy declared.

Everyone turned at looked at Edmund. Cathleen frowned.

"You…saw the fawn?"

Knowing he couldn't talk back to someone who wasn't his sibling, he just shook his head. James got off Kenneth's bed and stood by Lucy.

"Well, he didn't actually go there with us."

Lucy looked up at her brother.

"What _were_ you doing, Edmund?"

Edmund looked around at everyone, seeming unsure.

"I…was just playing along. I'm sorry, Peter, I shouldn't have encouraged her. But, you know what little children are like these days. They just don't know when to stop pretending."

Cathleen sighed as she saw Lucy start to cry and James ready to do the same. Lucy ran out of the room, James following as usual. Cathleen and Kenneth went out after them. Susan and Peter did the same, the latter pushing Edmund before leaving the room. Karen stayed behind and stared at Edmund. He looked at her and scowled.

"What?" he demanded.

"You're not a very nice person."

"As if I care what _you_ think."

Karen was tempted to run out of the room, but she just moved closer to Edmund.

"Did you really not go there? You're not lying by saying it isn't real?"

Edmund studied her. Her strawberry blonde hair was slightly wavy from sleep and her green eyes were piercing him as if she could detect all his lies.

"Of course not. I'm not a baby."

"You act like one. Fine, but just so you know…your slippers are wet."

She left the room as Edmund looked down to see she was right.


	3. The Prophesy

Lucy and James had dashed down the hallway and run straight into the Professor. Lucy did so literally, as she hugged his legs as she cried. Mrs. Macready in a bathrobe came around the corner about to tell them off until she saw the Professor. He had her take Lucy and James to the kitchen for a little hot chocolate. The other four tried to sneak away, but the Professor cleared his throat, obviously addressing them. He brought them into his office and inquired, without even asking, why Lucy and James had been upset. Susan told him all about the land that the two were talking about in the upstairs wardrobe. The Professor believed every word and the children left his company completely confused. They headed back to their rooms, seeing that the younger ones were already asleep. Peter and Cathleen were the last ones to go into their rooms. Cathleen pulled her robe tight around her as Peter turned to her.

"We have to keep them distracted, right?" he said to her.

She nodded. She tugged at her light brown hair with worry. Peter put his hands on her shoulders, making her look up at him.

"We'll do this together, right?"

He looked her straight in her hazel eyes, his blue ones searching for reassurance. She smiled.

"Sure."

With that, they parted ways for the night.

Peter's brilliant idea of distraction was a game of cricket out in the yard as it was a really nice day. Yet he was creeping Cathleen out with his overly cheery attitude. James and Lucy were by the tree reading from the same book while the others played cricket. Karen was useless at the game, but she tried anyway. Edmund was completely distracted. Peter pitched the ball at his brother, hitting him on the side.

"Ow!"

Karen giggled, apparently amused by his pain. Edmund glared at her.

"Why can't we play hide and seek again?" he demanded.

Peter and Susan talked him down from that one really fast. Peter rolled the ball in his hand and grinned at Cathleen before turning to Edmund.

"Are you ready?"

"Are you?"

Peter balled it and Edmund swung. He hit the ball straight through a window causing a huge crash. Lucy and James looked up at the broken window in astonishment. Karen was laughing hysterically at the horror on Edmund's face. The other four stood wide-eyed before they all ran into the building to find if they'd hit anything too important. Apparently, Edmund's shot had taken out a suit of armor. They heard Mrs. Macready shouting and decided to run for it. They searched the hallways to find many locked doors. The only open door led to the wardrobe. Edmund opened it and pointed.

"Well, come on."

"You've got to be joking," Susan said.

Left without a choice as they footsteps they heard got closer, they dashed into the wardrobe in a mass of limbs. There was pushing and shoving to the back of the wardrobe, but there wasn't one. They spilled out into trees and snow. The five who hadn't been in the wardrobe, stared around in awe. The wood was beautiful and completely covered in pure white snow. Lucy and James grinned at their elder siblings.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it's just your imagination…"Lucy teased.

"I don't suppose… saying "We're sorry" would quite cover it?"

"No, it wouldn't," James said, smiling at Lucy.

The two of them picked up snowballs and threw them. Peter and Kenneth got hit.

"But that might," they said in unison.

They all laughed and started throwing snowballs until one hit Edmund.

"Ow! Stop it!"

"Wow, you whine a lot," Karen noted, smug that she was right about his having been in the wardrobe.

Peter turned to Edmund and forced him to apologize to Lucy and James. It was then decided that they would all go to see Mr. Tumnus. Peter and Kenneth went back into the wardrobe and grabbed everyone coats. Peter handed Edmund a really big fluffy coat.

"That's a girl's coat."

Peter looked at him seriously.

"I know."

Edmund sighed and put it on anyway. Lucy and James then led the way. Peter and Cathleen walked together behind their youngest siblings.

"We have to be the worst older siblings in the history of ever," Peter quietly said to her.

She looked up at him to find him somewhat sulky. She reached out and took his hand. She wasn't sure why, but it felt right at that moment and Peter squeezed it in return.

"I don't think so. It's hard to believe and I'm not really sure if I'm dreaming or not, but I'm excited. I'm also glad that Lucy and James are going crazy."

Peter laughed and Cathleen let go of his hand to ruffle James's hair. It was apparently her way of showing her affection for her little brother. Edmund trudged along solemnly at the back of the group. Karen looked back at him from her position of second to last.

"So what did you do while you were here?" she asked.

"None of your business."

"I find it curious that you won't tell anyone."

"You're annoying, I hope you know that."

"I've heard that one before."

"How about bratty, ugly, and stupid as well?"

Karen turned around and kicked snow at him before running up and walking beside Kenneth. She decided she purely loathed Edmund. They were soon at the fawn's house, but Lucy and James stopped short of the way. Going into the house the door had been knocked off its hinges. The two kids ran with the others following quickly behind. The whole place was trashed and multiple things were broken, smashed, and scratched. Peter found a note in the house and read it aloud.

"Fawn Tumnus, against Her Imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, charged of comforting her said Majesty's enemies, harboring spies and fraternizing with humans.'Signed MAUGRIM, Captain of the Secret Police, LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"

Susan and Kenneth declared that they should leave before things got dangerous, but Peter believed that they should stay and help Mr. Tumnus. They were all arguing about it until Susan heard a bird try to get their attention. They moved outside to find a beaver. Peter tried to coax it over and held out his hand.

"I ain't gonna smell it if that's what you want."

Lucy and James started laughing but everyone else just stared in surprise.

"It can talk," Cathleen said, aloud.

"Lucy Pevensie," it said, holding out a handkerchief," Tumnus got it to me just before they took him."

Lucy took the handkerchief. James looked over her shoulder.

"You gave this to him when we first met him," he remembered.

"We should talk where it's safer. Follow me."

He took off and once again there was a discussion on whether to follow or not. Cathleen was the one to end the argument.

"We're here now…so we might as well find out what's going on and help Tumnus as much as we can. He was kind to Lucy and James and we owe him for that."

James hugged his big sister as they followed Beaver to his home. It was an adorable house made out of sticks. Beaver was very proud of it. Inside, it was crowded, but they all fit. They were given warm drinks and offered fish, which no one really took, by his wife. Beaver explained that the White Witch Jadis claimed to be queen of Narnia but the real ruler was Aslan, who hadn't been seen for a very long time but was back. Jadis was causing it to be winter all the time and it had been like that for a hundred years. Halfway through, Karen noticed Edmund head out the door. Without alerting anyone, she snuck out after him. Beaver continued telling those remaining that Aslan was putting together an army for the Daughters of Eve and Sons of Adam according to a prophesy. The beavers apparently believed that it was them. There were to be eight of them, two kings, two queens, two princesses, and two princes of Narnia. Peter and Cathleen decided this was too much and stood up to leave. At that moment, they noticed they were missing two people. Beaver looked up at them.

"Has either of them been to Narnia before?"

Peter and Cathleen exchanged a look.

"Edmund," they both said before everyone was out the door.

They headed toward the White Witch's castle. They stopped on a cliff and they could see Edmund and Karen, following hesitantly, heading inside. Lucy called out, but Beaver said it was no use. They were left with no choice but to find Aslan and hope that he could save Edmund and Karen.


	4. The Woman is Always Right

Karen had a hard time keeping up with Edmund in the ankle deep snow. She had followed him for a good five minutes, wishing she had brought her coat with her. She yelped suddenly as she tripped over a branch. Edmund turned and finally saw she'd followed him. He marched over to her and helped her up.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, severely irritated.

"Where are you going, Edmund? What is going on?" she asked.

"You're so nosy, you know that? Fine. I met the White Witch when I came here and she isn't that bad. She as nice to me. She wanted me to bring all of you to her, but after what the Beaver said no one would go so I decided go myself. She just wants children of her own. She also promised I could be King someday."

Karen stared at him.

"You bloody idiot! It's an obvious trap!"

"You don't know anything! Go away."

He started making his way back toward the castle. Karen followed him.

"No. I can't let you go alone. Who knows what will happen to you?"

"What do you care?"

"I don't, but I can at least rub it in your face later when I'm right and you're wrong."

They soon marched into the castle courtyard. They were freaked out by the many statues that were in the courtyard. They were all stone and so realistically done. Edmund drew a mustache on a lion statue.

"Real mature," Karen commented.

Many of the statues looked as if they had been fighting for their lives. Karen head a sound like a branch snapping and jumped. She grabbed Edmund's hand in her fright. They both looked down at their hands and yanked them apart. They headed up the stairs. Edmund stepped over a statue of a wolf and just as he got over it, it jumped on him. Karen let out a scream and the wolf growled at her. It hadn't been an actual statue.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Edmund. The Queen told me to come back here. I'm a Son of Adam and she's Karen, a Daughter of Eve."

The wolf stepped off of Edmund.

"My apologies, fortunate favorite of the Queen. Or else, not so fortunate."

The wolf led the two up a steep set of stairs and into a throne room made completely of snow and ice. The wolf left them there to go and fetch the Queen. Edmund grinned at Karen and went and sat on the throne.

"Edmund, don't. You'll get us in trouble."

It was then that Jadis walked in.

"Like it?" she asked him as he jumped off the throne.

"Yes."

She took a seat in her throne.

"Edmund, is your brother deaf?"

"No…"

"Is he…unintelligent?"

"Well…I think so, but Mum-"

She stood up from her seat.

"Then HOW come you are here with only HER?"

Edmund moved down the steps to the throne a bit. Karen bit her lip, fear taking over. She continued yelling at Edmund.

"I brought them halfway! They're at the Beaver's!"

"Edmund, don't."

Jadis stared at him.

"I suppose you're not completely useless."

She turned to sit down again.

"Uhm…could I…have some more Turkish Delight?"

Karen stared at him, not believing that he did all this for sweets. It was obvious that he wasn't going to get any treats as her dwarf pulled a dagger on Edmund and her and led them off to the dungeon. As they were leaving, they saw Jadis send out her wolf police to get their siblings. They were led downstairs to a freezing cold dungeon and their legs were shackled. When the dwarf had left, the two of them pulled their knees up to their chests and hugged their legs. He had given them a plate with two frozen pieces of bread and a cup of frozen water. They didn't want it at all.

"What did I tell you?" Karen accused Edmund.

Edmund put his head on his knees.

"Fine, you're right. I was wrong. I-I…I'm sorry."

Karen sighed and hugged her legs tighter.

"Doesn't matter. It's so cold. I just hope we get out of here alive."

"If only we're that lucky.

The voice had come from the other side of a partition. There was a creature with its top half that of a man and the bottom of a goat.

"Are you…Mr. Tumnus?" Karen asked.

"Friends of Lucy?" he asked.

"I'm a friend and this is her brother Edmund."

"If you're not going to eat the bread, I'll take it."

Edmund slid over and handed him the two pieces of bread he and Karen hadn't wanted.

"Is Lucy safe?" he asked, taking the bread.

"I don't know…" Edmund replied.

It was then that Jadis and her dwarf servant came down the stairs. Karen covered her ears as she was cold and didn't want to hear anything the witch said. She watched as Tumnus was unshackled and taken away. He gave Edmund a stricken look which made her uncover her ears.

"Ready my sleigh. I'm sure Edmund and his friend miss their siblings."

With that she left. Edmund looked guiltily at the ground. Karen shivered and leaned on Edmund.

"We're gonna die…" she said.


	5. Getting to Know You

The other Pevensie and Crest children had escaped the White Witch's police force of wolves. They had crossed a huge frozen lake when they heard sleigh bells. Beaver instructed them to run as that was how the White Witch's sleigh sounded, so they took off. They eventually reached the lake edge and hide behind a huge rock. Beaver went out and checked to see if they had lost her. When he came back, he was excited and told them to come out. When they came out from hiding, they were astounded to find Santa Claus. He was there to give them gifts because for the first time in a hundred years Christmas was coming as winter was finally ending. Lucy was given a potion of healing and a dagger, Susan was given a bow and arrows and a horn, and Peter was given a sword and shield. The Crest children were given the same minus one. James got a dagger, Kenneth a bow and arrows, and Cathleen a sword. When Santa was gone, they had crossed a river that was breaking. That had turned difficult when Maugrim and company had attacked them. Peter had broken a huge chunk of ice with his sword and sent them all down stream. There has been a slight scare when Peter had lost Lucy in the river, but she was fine. When they got to the other side of the river they made their way to Aslan's camp. Spring had reached Narnia around Aslan's camp. There was no snow and the plants were all blooming. The temperature had gone up quite a bit. Aslan's camp was filled with red and white tents everywhere. There were creatures that they never would have believed existed and a ton of talking animals. They were welcomed by Aslan as everyone in camp followed the six children to Aslan's tent. To their surprise, Aslan was a lion of great size. James was particularly thrilled. He welcomed each of them by name to their astonishment.

"Where are the last two?" he asked, examining them.

"That's why we're here sir," Peter said," They've been taken by the White Witch."

"How could this happen?" Aslan asked.

Beaver stepped forward.

"Their brother…he betrayed them, Your Majesty."

Cathleen spoke up.

"And my sister followed him out of curiosity, I'm sure."

Peter looked down at the ground.

"It's my fault really. I was too hard on him…"

Susan and Cathleen each put a hand on Peter's shoulders.

"We all were," Susan added.

Even the Crests could not deny they had had a hard time accepting Edmund. Lucy looked at Aslan hopefully. Aslan looked back and admitted that getting Edmund back might be harder than they think. They were soon set up with two tents, one for girls and the other for boys. They changed their clothes as well. The girls were in beautiful dresses. Susan's was green, Lucy's blue, and Cathleen's was gold. After changing, Cathleen went outside and looked around. She spotted Peter talking with Aslan on a hill nearby. She sat on a rock outside the tent. It had been no more than four days since she met the Pevensies, yet she loved them dearly. Even Edmund could be likeable. She was especially impressed with Peter. He was a natural leader, for good or bad, and he only wanted his family to be happy and safe. He was a good brother and that held a lot of weight in Cathleen's opinion. She was brought out of her thoughts by a horn sounding. Knowing it was Susan's, she dashed off in the direction it had come from. Peter and a few soldiers were not far behind. Peter eventually overtook her and pulled out his sword. She stopped on the outside of the clearing as Maugrim and another wolf were facing off against Peter.

"Peter, be careful," she shouted.

Aslan, her brothers, and the few soldiers had arrived as Aslan held down the extra wolf. He wouldn't let the army interfere as it was Peter's fight. Aslan stood beside Cathleen as she watched. Maugrim leaped on Peter, but he got his sword in him. Lucy and Susan came down from the tree they were hiding in and hugged Peter. Aslan let the wolf go and told the soldiers to follow it to find Edmund. Aslan turned to Cathleen.

"I would like to speak with you on the way back to camp."

There was no explanation before he moved toward the Pevensies. He told Peter to clean his sword. Once he had, Peter knelt before Aslan. Peter was dubbed Sir Peter Wolfsbane, Knight of Narnia. Peter looked around at his sisters and the Crests. As Aslan made his way back to camp, Cathleen turned and followed.

"Do you understand the party you and your siblings play in the prophesy?" Aslan asked as they strode slowly back to camp.

"I'm sorry. I don't," she admitted.

Aslan smiled at her honesty.

"I will speak with each of your siblings, but I find that it is most important that _you_ understand. Though the Pevensies take the throne, you and your siblings are by no accident here in Narnia. You four are the backbone to the throne."

"Backbone?"

Aslan stopped and looked Cathleen straight in her confused eyes.

"You are the support that they will need to rule Narnia. You were instinctually drawn to Peter because he emits the traits you find desirable in a person."

Cathleen blushed deep red, making Aslan chuckle.

"I don't mean to embarrass you and I'm not saying the crush you've developed was going to happen anyway. You like him as much as you do because he needs your support. Especially, if he is ever wrong."

"I sound like a guardian…"

"Believe you are what you think you are. But stick close to Peter. You'll find your feelings will eventually be reciprocated, if they are not already."

As he said this, Aslan glanced behind them to find Peter and his sisters were coming up behind them, yet his eyes were completely focused on Cathleen. She looked at Aslan.

"Did you tell him this?"

"I don't think it is necessary for him to be _told_," Aslan laughed," Just take care of him. Make sure Kenneth looks after Susan, James someday takes care of Lucy, and Karen…"

Cathleen looked down at the ground. Her hand shook, wondering if she'd ever see her little sister again. Aslan put a paw on her shoulder.

"Your sister already started her duty. She was correct to follow Edmund. I just hope it didn't lead her to sadness. Be proud of her."

"I'm always proud of her."

Aslan started walking to the camp again, leaving Cathleen to wait for the Pevensies.

"You're a good sister, Cathleen Crest, Guardian of the High King."

She watched Aslan go until a hand was laid on her shoulder. She turned to see Peter smiling down at her. Susan and Lucy both giggled as they passed.

"Walk with me?" he asked.

Cathleen nodded. They started walking, but at a much slower pace than Susan and Lucy.

"So what do you make of this place?"

Cathleen looked up into the leaves of the trees up above her.

"Narnia is beautiful. I just wish there wasn't a war going on."

Peter sighed, causing her to look up at him in curiosity.

"I feel that I should tell you this before anyone else…but I'm going to fight. I'm staying here and, if you could, would you take care of everyone for me?"

Cathleen stopped and stared at Peter.

"You think I would just up and leave after you say you're staying here to fight? Do you even think any of the others would as well? Are you nuts?"

"I feel that I have to. Like…it's my duty to stay."

"Then it is mine as well. You very well are not leaving anyone behind without a general protest from us."

"Cat, you don't seem to understand that I don't want any of you to get hurt. Not Susan, not Lucy, not your brothers, and not you. If Edmund and Karen…_when_ Edmund and Karen get back I don't want them to either."

The two glared at each other, neither conceding. They stayed like that for a few moments, but Cathleen looked away.

"You called me Cat…"

Peter opened his mouth, but nothing came out. She had a small smile on her face.

"Is that…okay?" he asked after a moment.

The two started walking again as Cathleen nodded.

"That's fine, but…try announcing this to everyone…because then you'll see what a foolish thing you are hoping for. I assure you that none of us will leave."

"Fine. We will see."

Peter glanced down at her as she walked by his side. It felt perfectly natural when he reached out and grasped her hand as they finished their walk into camp.


	6. That's What Friends are For

Edmund and Karen had been shoved onto Jadis's sleigh and brought to a spot in the woods where she was building her army for battle. The two were struck dumb by the sheer number of dwarves and Minotaurs milling around. The two were tied to a tree and gagged as Jadis's dwarf stooge taunted Edmund about sweets. After he'd left, as it had gotten to be nighttime, Karen used her teeth to get the gag off of Edmund's mouth. He spit the cloth away and looked at his companion.

"How did you do that?" he whispered, as he cautiously stood up enough so he could attempt to get her gag off with his hands.

When he got it off, she spit hers out.

"They care less about us talking or screaming than they do of us running away. Edmund, are we ever going to see our families again?"

Edmund sat down beside her again and sighed. Their prospects looked really dim. Even if they got free, they wouldn't make it out of camp without getting killed.

"Karen, I'm really sorry about this. It's my entire fault."

"That I know already. Stop apologizing; it's not doing us any good. I'm going to have nightmares forever after this…maybe…"

"I'll try and make it up to you?"

"Oh? How exactly?"

"I…I could be nice to you for the rest of my life."

"Please, I'm not about to _guilt_ you into treating my nicely. You should do that of your own free will."

Edmund couldn't say anything to that statement as it was then that soldiers flew through the area and a centaur grabbed Edmund and Karen, cut their binds, and put them on his back. Karen grabbed onto Edmund's waist as the centaur took off back the way it came, leaving the other soldiers to deal with the enemies in the area. They were soon at Aslan's camp. By that time it was daylight once again and the camp was only just beginning to stir. The centaur let them off its back as a huge lion met them.

"Are you Aslan?" Karen asked, bowing.

Edmund awkwardly followed her example.

"That I am, Karen, Daughter of Eve. You did the right thing by following Edmund, no matter how dangerous of a choice that was. We are glad to have you here. You may go see your family, but I would like to speak with Edmund alone for a bit."

Karen looked back at Edmund, who looked somewhat nervous to be left alone with such a large lion. The cut on his lip he had gotten from being in the cold dungeon was bleeding. She gave him a quick grin.

"You'll be okay. See you in a bit."

With that she walked down the hill. When she reached the bottom, Peter came out of the boy tent.

"Karen!"

She was taken aback as Peter pulled her into a hug. She went deep red.

"We were all so worried about you," he said, pulling back as the girls came out of the tent.

Cathleen saw her sister and shouted to Kenneth and James, who came flying out of the boy tent.

"KAREN!"

She was attacked by her three siblings all at once. Cathleen was the last one to let go.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, though I'm so proud of you for staying with Edmund, but never again scare me like that, okay?"

"I'll try not to," she laughed.

Kenneth picked her up and spun her around.

"You seem different, Karen, more talkative."

"I guess it's because I was frequently telling Edmund off…"

It was then that everyone looked up the hill to see Aslan finish speaking with Edmund and the two of them making their way down to them. When they reached, Aslan spoke first.

"What's done is done. There is no need to speak to Edmund or Karen about what has passed."

With that he left them all to talk. Edmund looked guiltily up at Peter before saying a quiet hello. Two seconds later Lucy and then Susan enveloped him in a hug.

"Are you alright?" Susan asked.

"I'm a little tired," he responded, something Karen could agree with for once.

"Get some sleep," Peter said.

Edmund looked at his brother before heading toward the boy tent.

"And Edmund…"

He turned back to Peter.

"…try not to wander off."

The boys grinned at each other before Edmund went inside. Karen was ushered into the girl tent to get some sleep as well.

Later, everyone sat on the grass eating breakfast at a table that had been set up. Edmund and Karen were vigorously going at the eggs and toast. Lucy laughed at her brother.

"Narnia's not going to run out of toast, Ed."

Peter got up and started putting on his sword.

"I'm sure they'll pack some up for the journey home," he said.

Cathleen sighed and leaned back in the grass waiting for the argument to end quickly.

"We're going home?" Kenneth asked, skeptical.

"You are," Peter said, before turning to his siblings," I promised Mum I'd keep you all safe and I don't want our new friends to get hurt..."

"Or _more _than friends," Lucy teased, grinning at Cathleen.

The oldest teen girl looked up at the sky hoping to see something interesting. Peter went a light pink but continued.

"But it doesn't mean I can't stay behind and help."

"They need us…all eight of us," Lucy said, hugging James.

A small smile lit everyone's face at the two of them.

"Lucy, it's too dangerous. You almost drowned! Edmund and Karen were almost killed!"

"Which is why we have to stay," Karen said, surprising everyone, "We've seen what the White Witch can do."

Edmund looked up.

"And I've helped her do it. But we can't leave these people behind to suffer for it."

He caught Karen's eye and grinned at her. She smiled back.

"Well, that's it then," Kenneth said, standing up and helping Susan to her feet," We need to get in some practice then."

The two of them headed off to the archery area. Lucy and James followed with their daggers in hand. The others went off to get sword training. Edmund and Karen picked up sword fighting the quickest, so they sat and watched as Peter and Cathleen practiced more. As they were watching, Edmund looked at Karen. She was wearing a blue dress and her hair was braided over her shoulder.

"Thank you."

She turned to look at him in confusion.

"What?"

"I never thanked you…for following me even though you knew I was wrong. Even though you knew bad things were going to happen, you didn't leave me."

Karen smiled at ground as she played with the grass beneath her fingers.

"That's what friends do isn't it?" she asked, shyly.

Edmund studied her closely. It was a genuine question she was asking him and he didn't understand why.

"Well…yeah…"

She looked up into his brown eyes.

"Are we…friends?"

Edmund thought about it. In five days they went from disliking each other, to hating each other, to tolerating each other, and then to keeping each other alive. The fact of the matter was that if Karen hadn't cared an ounce about him, she wouldn't have followed him in the first place.

"I'd say we are."

Karen smiled the brightest smile Edmund had ever seen from her so far. He was shocked when she threw her arms around him and gave him a hug.

"Woah!"

She let him go and laughed, tears were falling from her eyes. Edmund suddenly felt like he'd done something wrong.

"Karen!"

"I'm sorry…I-I just…I never had a friend before."

Edmund smiled and wiped a tear from her cheek as she rubbed her other cheek with her hand. The two laughed at her crying.

"You big baby…"


	7. Worry and Success

They had been practicing with their weapons, Lucy helping James throw a dagger, Kenneth guiding Susan's hands to help her shoot an arrow, and the others practicing against each other. Peter and Edmund were practicing fighting on horseback when Beaver came running up to them.

"The White Witch is declaring a meeting with Aslan. Come quickly."

All the children headed for the main camp area. They reached at the same time that Jadis stood before Aslan. She stared pointedly at Edmund, who grasped Karen's hand for moral support.

"You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan," she greeted.

"His offense was not against you."

"Have you forgotten the laws on which Narnia was built?"

"Do not cite the deep magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written."

"Then you'll remember well that every traitor belongs to me. His blood is my property."

Peter unsheathed his sword.

"Try and take him then."

Jadis just looked at him.

"You really think that mere force will deny me my right…Little King?"

Cathleen put a hand on the hilt of Peter's sword, lowering it.

"Aslan knows that unless I have blood, as the law demands, all of Narnia will be overturned and perish and fire and water. That boy will die on the stone table as is tradition. You dare not refuse me."

Karen held on tighter to Edmund's hand. He looked at her, fear evident in his eyes. Aslan's eyes were narrowed.

"Enough. I shall talk with you alone."

He moved into the tent beside him. Jadis instantly followed him inside. Everyone sat around waiting while they talked. Edmund was so nervous he was ripping up the grass where he sat. When Jadis stepped out of the tent, everyone instantly stood up again. It was tense as Aslan walked out of the tent.

"She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood."

Edmund instantly turned and hugged Karen and everyone else jumped on him in a hug. Jadis turned from her chariot to look at Aslan.

"How do I know your promise will be kept?"

Aslan roared in anger at the very thought of s breaking a promise. Jadis sat down in her chariot in fear. The army laughed her with glee as she left.

That night, many of the children were restless. Karen noticed when Susan and Lucy left the tent, but Cathleen was completely out. She felt cold lying in her bed and after staying in the frozen castle dungeon, it kept her far from sleep. She tiptoed out of the tent and spotted her brothers following Susan and Lucy. She slowly made her way to the boy tent and stopped outside. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go in. On the one hand she needed to see Edmund, but on the other she might think she was weird and she didn't want to lose her first friend already. Sucking it up, she moved into the tent. Peter was out cold on his side of the tent. Turning to the left side of the entrance, she saw Edmund watching her. She went over and got into the hammock next to him.

"Couldn't sleep, either?" he whispered.

She shook her head.

"I felt cold after worrying that you might die."

"I think that's why I'm up as well.

Karen slipped her arms under his and curled up next to him. Edmund just wrapped his arms around her, no protesting.

"You're warm," Karen whispered over his shoulder.

"So are you."

She sighed into his shoulder.

"I feel like bad news is coming tomorrow."

Edmund took her hand in his and laid his head back against the pillow.

"Don't worry about things tonight. Sleep."

Edmund rolled onto his back and Karen got comfortable beside him, but they did not let go of the others hand the entire night.

Early in the morning, she and Edmund awoke to a startled Peter who had pulled out his sword. Pink flower petals were swirling into the form of a human inside the tent. Peter looked over at Edmund and Karen and gave them an odd look.

"Be still my princes and princess," the form said," I bring grave news from your sisters and your brothers. Aslan is dead. He was killed on the stone table in Edmund's stead."

The three stared at her in shock until Karen leaped out of the hammock to run and get her sister. The tree spirit took her leave. Peter turned to Edmund.

"We have to see if it's true. And…why were you sleeping with Karen? The two of you are ten for heaven's sake."

Edmund blushed, but hurried out of bed.

"Restless night. You don't understand."

"I mean…as long as all you did was sleep…"

"What? What else is there?"

"Forget I said anything…"

They met up with Cathleen and Karen outside and headed to Aslan's tent. Peter went inside to check and came out quickly, confirming that Aslan was dead.

"He's gone," Peter said, sadly.

Edmund looked at his older brother.

"Then you'll have to lead us. Peter, there's an army out there that's read to follow you."

"I can't."

"Edmund is right. Aslan believed you could," Cathleen added," And so do I."

Peter met her eyes before looking down at the map in front of him.

"Alright, here is the plan…"

Cathleen began to wonder whether staying had been the right decision. Riding on a white stallion beside Peter on his unicorn facing an army much larger than their own was a real morale killer. Yet, she had to be support and as Aslan has asked that of her…she'd do it no matter what the cost. Even if that cost was her life. Karen and Edmund were positioned on the hill with the archers and hopefully they'd stay safe up there. As the enemies charged, Peter sent in their first defense. Griffons carrying rocks sailed over the valley and threw the rocks down on the enemy. Peter looked over at his second in command, a centaur by the name of Oreius.

"Are you with me?"

"To the death."

Peter turned to Cathleen.

"Cat?"

She looked back at him, wishing that it would not be the last time they ever spoke.

"Forever."

Peter looked forward once again.

"For Narnia! And for Aslan!"

With that their army surged forward. Cheetahs collided with white tigers first and then the armies meshed together in swords and spears. Cathleen slashed with her sword, fighting off enemy after enemy. She'd lost Peter within five seconds of beginning the battle. When there was a split between allies and enemies once again, Edmund sent out the signal for the phoenix to set a fire wall between them. It was taken out easily by the White Witch, who was now leading the charge. Cathleen heard Peter shouting for them to fall back. She followed the voice and then followed him off the battlefield and back into the rocks. Once in the rocks, Cathleen suddenly felt her horse give out. Dwarf archers from above had shot her horse and Peter's unicorn. They both fell to the ground, winded. As they were getting up, they saw Oreius and a rhino charging.

"Stop!" Peter shouted.

It was too late. They charged straight in. they rhino was taken down by the legs. Oreius killed the enemy army's general but when he went up against the White Witch, he was turned to stone and pushed aside. Two griffons tried an attack and were even less successful. One crashed into the rocks after turning to stone. As the rocks cascaded down, Peter pulled her to him and used his shield to deflect the rocks. Getting back up, they could see the White Witch heading straight for Peter.

"Cathleen, go with Edmund and Karen. There are too many. Get everyone out of here."

He shouted the same order to Edmund and Beaver grabbed him and Karen and started dragging them off. Cathleen used her sword to slash back an enemy before it reached Peter.

"I'm not leaving you," she said to him.

"Please, for once just do as I ask and trust me."

It was against her better judgment but with a frustrated growl she ran up the slope after Edmund, her sister, and Beaver. Reaching them, they looked back down at the battle. The White Witch was almost to Peter. Edmund pulled out his sword.

"Peter said get out of here," Beaver reminded Edmund.

"Peter's not king yet," he replied and ran down the slope.

"Edmund, no!" Karen made to go after him, but Cathleen grabbed her.

With a shout, Edmund jumped down, landing behind the White Witch. She turned and attacked. Edmund dodged and brought down his sword. In a blaze of blue light, he shattered the stone-transforming weapon. Angry, she deflected his next attack and stabbed him in the stomach.

"NO!" Karen screamed, ripping out of her sister's grip.

Cathleen ran after her. The two reached Edmund and knelt by his side as he held his stomach, gasping. Enraged, Peter engaged her in battle while the girls tried to stop the blood flowing from Edmund. Karen was crying hysterically. She took off his helmet and laid his head on her lap.

"Edmund, please…no…don't die on me. PLEASE!"

Edmund could only groan in pain. Peter was still fighting the White Witch.

"It's over," Karen cried.

At that moment, a roar erupted from the highest point of the rocks. Standing on top was Aslan and a new full army of Narnia came flooding down the hill. Aslan jumped down and headed down into the valley between the rocks were the fights were going on. As the fights continued, Peter was knocked down and pinned to the ground. Cathleen stood up in worry. His shield was knocked away. Just as the Witch was about to kill him, Aslan jumped on her sending them both flying. He then killed her as Cathleen ran over to Peter. He had gotten up by the time she reached him. Aslan turned to them.

"It is finished," he announced.

Lucy, Susan, Kenneth, and James came running down the hill and the youngest ones hugged their elder sibling.

"Everyone, Edmund…"

They all raced over to him and Karen, who was still in tears. They all knelt around him as Lucy gave him some of the healing drink. They all waited tensely, hoping that it would work. He suddenly opened his eyes and started to sit up. Karen wiped her tears, still sniffling and scuttled over toward her siblings with a big smile on her face. The two families had a group hug until they saw Aslan coming up to them. He turned someone from stone back to life, giving Lucy a hit that there were others she could help. She took off, helping everyone she could.

The next day, the coronation ceremony for the eight children was held in the castle at Cair Paravel. There were four thrones set up on a raised platform. The Crest family hung back as Aslan brought up the Pevensie family. The Beavers and Mr. Tumnus had the honor of crowning the new kings and queens of Narnia. Queen Lucy the Valiant was to reside over the East, King Edmund the Just was to reside over the West, Queen Susan the Gentle the South, and High King Peter the Magnificent the North. As the new Kings and Queens sat at their throne, Aslan turned to the Crests.

"I give you also the Princes and Princesses of Narnia, the guardians of our Kings and Queens. Prince James the Courageous to the East, Princess Karen the Benevolent, Prince Kenneth the Daring, and High Princess Cathleen the Brave."

They each stood beside the throne of their realm. Aslan gave words of wisdom and so on and the coronation finished and was changed to the ball part of the event. Lucy and James watched Aslan leave with Mr. Tumnus and Kenneth and Susan were dancing. On another balcony, higher than the one that Lucy and James were on, Edmund and Karen stared out at the sunset. Edmund nudged his best friend, making her look up at him with a smile.

"You were pretty distraught when you thought I was dying," he teased.

She pushed him slightly.

"Don't taunt me about it."

"Fine."

Karen looked up at him in surprise. He winked at her and held a hand out to her. Taking it, she placed a hand on her waist and held up their hands.

"I warn you that I don't know how to dance," Edmund grinned.

"Then I have no choice but to teach you."

"Yes, oh stage guardian of mine."

The two laughed and danced awkwardly on the balcony for the rest of the night. Elsewhere in Cair Paravel, Peter and Cathleen were escaping the crowds by running into a deserted hallway and hid behind a column in a small alcove. There was even a small ledge to sit on.

"Hmm…kinda cozy back here," Cathleen said, sitting and patting the spot next to her for Peter.

He laughed and sat beside her.

"Ah, Cat, this could have never happened without you. I wouldn't have been able to do it," Peter said, taking her hand," I can't believe we did it."

Cathleen smiled at him.

"What is it with those I care about scaring me all the time? Really, no more near death experiences for you and I don't care if there are dragons out in some distant land, no slaying of it. I won't wait here for bad news."

"As if you'd _let_ me have you wait here."

"True enough."

The two sighed and leaned against the wall at the same time. They looked at each other and started to laugh. Peter squeezed her warm hand. He'd never felt more comfortable with anyone in his life.

"You're really beautiful," Peter breathed.

Cathleen looked up in surprise. Peter looked shocked himself, not expecting that to have come out of his mouth. He looked down at her, feeling just how close she was to him. Her hazel eyes were drawing him in.

"Peter?"

Before he would let himself stop, Peter brought a hand to her face, tilting it up toward him. He leaned down and inches from her lips, stopped.

"I won't kiss you unless you want me to," he whispered, his words brushing her lips.

"I…I want you to," she whispered back before Peter closed the distance.

After a moment, they parted.

"What do you think about someday being High Queen?"

Cathleen blushed and leaned against Peter instead of the wall. He lay his arms on hers.

"Ask me that question again in six years, and we'll see."

Peter smiled.

"I believe I'll do that."


	8. Kiss Me

Six years later in Narnia, the two families were having a day to themselves. Lucy and James were reading in the library, Edmund and Karen were playing chess in Edmund's room, Susan and Kenneth were out riding, and Peter and Cathleen were sitting together in their favorite alcove. They were having some tea that Cathleen had made herself. As Cathleen finished her tea, she put it on the ground and pulled her legs up underneath her skirts. She looked over at Peter who was just finishing his as well. His hair was growing out and he had a time now of shaving. In the winter, he'd just let it grow and shave it when it was warm. Peter had really gotten used to being a king. He was a good king except that he sometimes got a little commanding. He didn't really ask Cathleen for anything anymore, he got used to just telling her to do it. And as he was the High King, she couldn't complain. Peter noticed her watching him while lost in thought and smiled at her.

"What?" he asked," Is something bothering you?"

Cathleen shook her head and gave him a small smile.

"Of course not, Your Majesty."

Her and her siblings had gotten used to calling the Pevensies "Your Majesty". Edmund and Lucy were the ones bothered by it, but Susan and Peter didn't appear to notice. The Crests were all called by their names, except in the presence of company when they used their honorific of prince or princess.

Peter slid closer to Cathleen as he put his cup on the ground beside hers and she knew what was coming.

"Kiss me, Cat," he said, leaning close to her.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She pressed her lips to Peter's. She didn't mind kissing him, it was just the way he commanded it all the time. To herself, she wished he'd think more about her feelings like he did when they were younger, but she refused to make a big deal out of it. Her stomach did a flip as Peter pressed her against the wall of the alcove as he kissed her.

"Peter," she said, between kisses," someone might see us."

Peter chuckled and stopped.

"I don't doubt that everyone has seen us back here from time to time."

He was about to start kissing her again when they heard someone clear their throat. Peeking out, they spotted Karen and Edmund smirking at them.

"Your Majesty, might I speak with my sister for a moment?" Karen asked, curtseying.

"Of course."

Cathleen got up and followed her sister down the hall, leaving Peter to be teased by Edmund. She looked over at her younger sister.

"Something wrong with Edmund?"

"No, more like something is wrong with you and Peter."

The two went to Karen's room and sat down at the table in her room.

"What is wrong with me and Peter?"

Karen gave her sister a look that said "I know everything".

"You can't tell me that you aren't bothered by Peter's ordering you to do things. You know you're not just any old servant in the castle. You're High Princess, his companion and guide. You shouldn't let him get away with that. If you two are in love and someday get married, then you can't just let him get away with it because he will treat you like that forever."

"How is it that my _younger_ sister is giving me love advice? And he doesn't mistreat me; he's really good to me."

"Just because he's nice and sweet to you, doesn't mean he isn't mistreating you. He's using the fact that you can't say no to him and that isn't fair. Edmund is the one who brought this up by the way."

Cathleen laughed.

"I'm happy to know when the two of you get married, he'll treat you right," Cathleen stated, getting up," Thanks for your concern, Karen, but its okay."

Karen had turned bright red in the face.

"W-what are you saying? We're just...just best friends. That's all."

Cathleen was at the door when she turned around.

"For now..."

With a grin, she left the room and headed to her own. She spent the rest of the day reading in her room. After dinner with everyone, she went out onto the balcony outside her room and leaned against the railing. She was staring out at the sea when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Looking up she saw Peter. She bowed her head him.

"Your Majesty."

"Cat."

He turned her to face him and put his hands on her shoulder.

"Are you unhappy?"

Cathleen looked at him in confusion.

"Not at all."

"Is there something bothering you, anything at all?"

"No."

Peter looked her straight in her eyes before sighing and letting her go.

"It's just something Edmund said to me today. He said I shouldn't be ignorant to other people's feeling. He warned me it would sound ironic coming from him, but...the only person I could think it would refer to was you. Cat, you know if anything at all bothered you, no matter how big or small, you can tell me and I'll do anything. I want you to be happy."

Cathleen looked at her hands.

"Anything?"

Peter nodded.

"Anything at all."

"Uhm, well...why do you always _order_ me to kiss you? You don't ask me...or just do it on your own..."

Peter's mouth opened, but his jaw went slack.

"I...do that, don't I?" he said, rubbing his forehead," I didn't even think about it...I'm sorry, Cat."

She put a hand on his arm.

"It's okay."

"Why weren't you going to say anything?"

"It's not a big problem..."

"What are you talking about? I don't have the right to order you around."

Cathleen raised an eyebrow at him. Peter half chuckled, half laughed.

"Okay, I do, but that isn't a way to treat someone I love."

"Love?"

"You think I kissed...I mean...you think I _made _you kiss me all these years just because? Cat, I love you and I'm sorry I was so insensitive."

"I forgive you."

Peter leaned in close to her and put his hands on the railing on either side of her, keeping her there.

"Do you love me?"

The two stared at each other right in the eyes. Cathleen blushed as Peter kissed her on the cheek.

"Yes, I love you, Peter."

She was suddenly pulled into his strong arms in an embrace.

"You haven't called me by my name in a long time."

Cathleen smiled and hugged him back.

"Can I kiss you?"

Looking up, she nodded and his lips met hers. Peter was a good guy, no matter what anyone thought and he was kind. And as far as she could tell, he really loved her.

"Cat?" he whispered.

She noticed his cheeks were slightly pink as he slipped his hand into his pocket.

"Yes, Peter?"

He pulled out a gold ring with a diamond on it. Cathleen was at a loss for words as he slipped into onto her ring finger.

"It's been six years...so; I was wondering if...you would marry me and be my High Queen of Narnia?"

"I...Peter...y-yes. Yes, Peter. Yes, I'll marry you! Oh my...!"

She threw her arms around him and started to cry from happiness. Peter was beaming and hugged her tight and promised himself that he would never, ever let her go.


	9. Say My Name

Karen paced around the room agitated. Edmund said he would meet her in the library an hour ago, but he was still out hunting. Seven years in Narnia and the guy still knew how to make her worry. Lucy watched Karen move back and forth across the decently sized floor.

"Karen, relax. You're making _me_ nervous."

She threw herself into an armchair instantly.

"Sorry, Your Majesty."

"Lucy."

"Right."

She sat there for two minutes before her foot started taping. Lucy couldn't hide a smile that crept onto her face. All she could do was put a book in front of her face so Karen wouldn't see. It was obvious to everyone but Edmund and Karen that the two were enamored with each other. But if anyone asked, they denied it furiously. Lucy knew one day that they'd join the group of happy married couples that were being made in the castle. Peter and Cathleen were married and, a few months ago, so were Susan and Kenneth. Lucy and James had talked about getting married eventually, and being nineteen now, the idea wasn't such a bad one. It was then that Edmund came through the door laughing.

"I killed the monster eating travelers on their way through the Western Woods. Went really well, actually."

He stopped talking when he caught the look on Karen's face. It was downright horrifying. Edmund turned to Lucy.

"Am I late?"

"By an hour."

"Oh dear..."

Karen stood up and slowly crossed over toward him. He started backing up.

"Now, Karen...it's not so bad...just an hour...I didn't think it'd take that long. Really! Karen, dear, you're scaring me. Look...I'm all in one piece."

"You won't be for long."

Lucy looked up as Edmund leaped away from Karen as she lunged at him and took off out the door. Karen dashed after him at full speed. Lucy sighed and went back to her book.

"I'm afraid to see what their children will be like."

Karen chased Edmund all the way up to his room. He locked the door and was laughing hysterically. She grinned and went to her room. She opened up the door to her balcony and going there, she quietly jumped over to the balcony next to it. She quietly opened the balcony door and, once inside, locked it. Edmund stood laughing and facing the hallway door.

"Take that, Karen!"

"Oh, you sure showed me."

Edmund whipped around to face the smirking woman. His shoulders drooped.

"Oh, come on! It's my birthday!"

"Sit."

Edmund marched over to the bed and sat so that Karen was towering over him.

"Now what was our deal if you ever made me worry about you?"

Edmund pouted.

"No chess for a week..."

"That's right."

Karen sat down next to him on the bed smiling. Edmund sighed.

"You're doing this out of spite just because you never win."

"Not true. It's a good punishment. You're sad, aren't you? Then it's good."

Edmund bent his head, his now decently long hair falling to cover his face. Karen walked to the door and opened it.

"See you at your birthday ball tonight, Edmund. Try not to look so sullen," she said, leaving the room.

She headed down to the kitchen to find her personal maid, Lydia, so that she could get her hair braided as it was now a mess from running and get help getting ready for the ball. Outside the kitchen, she stopped after hearing her name mentioned.

"Princess Karen is so rowdy."

"I think she gets it from King Edmund."

"Are they going to get married?"

"Probably."

"He could do better; she isn't as pretty as her sister or our Queens."

"What should he do? Marry a servant? No way."

"It's always an option!"

"Quiet, you gossipers," Lydia's voice scolded," You've no time to talk. Cook!"

She had apparently just entered the room from the servant's quarters. The gossiping cut off.

"And for the record, Princess Karen is a beautiful woman and you all are just jealous of her because you think King Edmund is handsome. You should all be ashamed. Tearing someone apart out of jealously...You all prove to me more and more how much better she is than any of you."

Karen chose then to walk slowly into the room. All eyes instantly fell on her. The women in the room bowed.

"Your highness," they said in unison.

She nodded her head and they stood up again.

"Lydia, could you help me with my hair, please? It has become quite a nuisance."

"Of course, Princess."

Lydia followed her out of the room. When the door was closed, Lydia clucked disapprovingly.

"In all my years, I've never met such rude girls. I suppose you heard all that? Please ignore them, your highness, they are a ridiculous batch."

Karen smiled. Lydia was in her fifties and was the most mothering person in the castle. Despite being Karen's personal maid, she took care of the other royalty in the castle with just as much friendliness.

"They are jealous of your perfect face and complexion. Not to mention that luxurious hair of yours. Speaking of your hair, _what_ have you don't to it, Princess?"

Karen felt guilty as she ran a hand through her now tangled hair.

"I was chasing after Edmund...which led me also to jump across balconies...nothing new."

"PRINCESS! You could have hurt yourself."

She flinched and looked back at Lydia, whose face was red with concern.

"I'm sorry, Lydia, it's a habit?"

The maid sighed and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Well, you are young. Couldn't you pursue that young man in a more appropriate fashion?"

Karen laughed.

"Pursue King Edmund? Why would I ever do that? For that matter, my acting in a normal ladylike manner would probably make him die. It'd be so strange."

Lydia rolled her eyes at the Princess as she began to laugh hysterically. The maid had learned a long time ago that Karen was a tough nut to crack when it came to the girl's opinions.

"Alright, Princess, so about your outfit for the ball..."

At the ball that night, Karen wore a silver and blue dress with her hair loose. Some of her hair was braided in a circle around the crown on her head. The ball had been going on for three hours already and Karen was tired from speaking with guests. Edmund was doing his best to greet everyone and thank them for coming to the party. To escape boredom, the young princess escaped the party and slipped into the main courtyard's garden. She sat on one of the marble benches surrounding the fountain in the courtyard's center. The royal females of Cair Paravel had insisted on maintaining the garden themselves. They had done well as the flowers had bloomed beautifully year after year. Even on this September evening, the flowers were as vibrant as ever, despite the fall chill that was coming in.

"Was it all so overwhelming?"

Karen turned to see her favorite king smirking at her. She smiled as he went and sat beside her with a heavy sigh.

"I can relate, even if it is my birthday. Always feels as if something is expected of us, doesn't it? At least I could escape, albeit for a short time."

"A king shouldn't talk like that. You enjoy the people. You like to break down the barriers of superiority versus inferiority."

Edmund made a face and nudged her. Karen nudged back, causing the two to grin at each other. They sat and listened to the fountain water as stars came out in the night sky.

"Do you think...that maybe there is someone, just one person, made for each of us?"

Karen turned to Edmund. He was looked up at the sky, his expression completely serious.

"Maybe. That's something you should as Aslan, not me."

The young king leaned back on the bench in thought. His hand accidentally landed on Karen's, making them both look down. Edmund grasped her hand and lifted it up between them.

"To be honest, I don't really think I need to ask."

As their eyes met, Edmund's hand reached out and caressed her cheek. His eyes drew her toward him and he moved closer as well.

"Edmund..." she whispered.

It was in that moment that Karen stopped and her hand pulled away. Edmund blinked at her as she stood up and took a step away.

"No..._King_ Edmund. I'm so sorry."

She turned to leave, but Edmund grabbed her wrist.

"Karen, please wait..."

She stopped and turned to him, her face red with embarrassment.

"Your Highness, you can anyone you want. You're just settling for me."

"Please, don't call me that. And what are you talking about? Settling? Karen!"

She pulled free of his grasp and bowed.

"You could do better. I'm sorry."

She ran off, leaving Edmund confused.

"What?"

He turned around and looked at the entrance to the castle only to see his and Karen's siblings watching him.

"Come to watch me make a fool of myself?" he groaned, making his way toward them.

Peter met him first and put a hand on his shoulder.

"We thought we were watching something that would go remarkably better, but apparently not. What did you do?" Kenneth asked.

"I didn't do anything! I think..."

Lucy hummed, getting her brother's attention.

"I was speaking with Lydia earlier today. She was quiet irritated about Karen overhearing a conversation some of the younger kitchen help were having. Apparently they said things about Karen not being pretty enough for you and that you could do better."

Edmund stared at his little sister.

"_You could do better."_

"Great. Please tell the guests that I have retired for the night."

He made his way to exit the ballroom.

"What are you going to do?" James asked.

"I'm going to find your sister, talk some sense into her, and if all goes well, marry that stubborn woman if it's the last thing I do."

He dashed off, not wanting to look back at the smiling faces of his family and friends. If he knew Karen, she would have gone to the library, so that was where he went. Going inside the library, he saw that a few candles had been lit, but no Karen. He heard a faint sound to the shelves to his right. As he got closer to the source, he recognized it as the sound of sniffling and crying. Turning at the second to last row of bookshelves, he found a curled up mass of silver and blue fabric on the floor shaking from tears.

"Oh, Karen..."

There was a squeak as the ball jumped as if bitten. Edmund knelt down and watched as Karen buried her face deep within the skirt of her dress.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, Ki-"

"I don't want to hear you call me "King Edmund" every again. Before you start rapidly apologizing, listen to me and listen good okay?"

Karen sniffled and stared at him with her puffy red eyes. Edmund almost couldn't keep up his stern tone, but he knew it was necessary if Karen was going to listen.

"I don't know what is going through your head. I never really do, but please do not speak up to me. You're royalty and I'm royalty. I may have a higher status, but I don't care. You're my best friend and my equal. Do you hear me?"

Karen nodded, slowly.

"Good. Now, whatever nonsense you've ever heard about you not being good enough or pretty enough for _anyone_ is completely wrong. You are one hundred percent better than anyone I have ever met. Anyone who can put up with me for so many years is the best person in the world in my opinion. Don't believe a word anyone says that is bad about you because they're jealous liars. And Karen, I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever known and you are the only woman worth my attention...and affection."

The young woman stared at him, speechless for once. Edmund, whose face was tinted pink from his lecture, pulled her into his arms.

"I want you to say my name, Karen. Just my name."

She buried her head deep into his shoulder.

"I don't know if I can..."

"I need you to say my name."

She sighed.

"Edmund."

"Again."

"Edmund."

"Now three time in a row."

"Shut up, Ed!"

"Even better!"

He smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. After a few moments, Edmund pulled back and got up, pulling Karen to her feet with him.

"Now, I'm going to say something and I am asking you to please not interrupt."

"Ed...?"

Edmund knelt down in front of her and pulled a ring out of his pocket. The ring was a sliver band with a sapphire surrounded by diamonds on top.

"Oh, Edmund!"

"I haven't said a word and here you are interrupting me."

"Sorry."

Edmund looked up and smiled at her.

"As I mentioned in the courtyard, I don't need to ask Aslan if there is one person meant for each of us because I already believe that you are meant for me. Even though I've been difficult and stubborn you've always stuck by me. Even though I gave the _worst_ first impression I could possibly have given you when we met...you still cared about me. So, now...ten years later, I am asking you, Karen Elizabeth Crest, will you marry me?"

Karen stared as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Her mind was thinking a million things at once to the point she didn't know what to say. Edmund cleared his throat.

"You can say something now...please...anything..."

"Uh...uhm..."

Edmund glanced around at the books in dread, hoping he wasn't about to be turned down.

"Oh, Edmund! Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

He sighed with relief and stood up. Karen through her arms around him and they shared their first kiss.

It was eight years later after chasing the White Stag, the Pevensie and Crest families both wound up back through the wardrobe and at the Professor's house. It had been as if they had never left and the Professor asked them to tell him all about Narnia. It was strange for the children, seeing as they had all been married in Narnia, but they all decided that years from now, they would do the same in this world. They were eventually able to go home and it was a sad parting for the two families, but they all promised to keep in touch and the Crest's were able to convince their parents to send them to school with the Pevensie's. The boys attended the same boarding school and the girls did the same. Little did they all know that a year later they would be back together on another adventure.


	10. In Ruins

The Crest family sat waiting on a bench in the train station. The Pevensies would be meeting them before the beginning of the next school year. Cathleen paced in front of her family, checking her watch every minute. James smiled at his eldest sister.

"Cat, they'll be here. How much trouble can they get into?"

Cathleen stopped and sighed at her brother, dropping herself into the empty spot beside him.

"You know Peter..."

They waited a few more minutes before they heard a commotion off to their left. A crowd was gathering and there was shouting. Karen stood up on the bench and tried to get a look into the center of the crowd. Her eyes widened.

"Cat...I think I just saw familiar golden blonde hair."

The four on the bench leaped up and, with Kenneth in the lead, forced their way to the center of the crowd. Karen had been correct; Peter was taking on three boys at once.

"Bloody hell..." Kenneth commented.

"Peter!" Cathleen screamed.

He turned and looked at her before two guys grabbed him and slammed him into the wall. It was then that Edmund came into the circle and tackled the third boy.

"Edmund!"

Lucy and Susan watched in horror and disgust not too far away. As Peter began to get pummeled, a soldier pushed his way through the crowd blowing his whistle loudly. Cathleen pushed her siblings back toward the bench they had been waiting at as the soldier tore the boys apart. As the crowd dispersed, the Pevensie family could be seen making their way toward the bench. Karen jumped up and met Edmund, ushering him to sit down.

"Are you okay? You didn't get hurt did you?"

"I'm fine," he said, waving her off and turning to Peter," You're welcome."

"I had it sorted."

Peter put an arm around Cathleen and leaned on her.

"What was it this time?" Susan asked, taking the seat Kenneth offered her.

"He bumped me."

"So you hit him?" Lucy asked, skeptically.

"No. After he bumped me, they tried to make me apologize. That's when I hit him."

"Really, is it just that hard to walk away?" Susan asked.

Cathleen moved out from under Peter's arm, grabbing his attention.

"Peter, Susan's told me how many fights you've been getting into lately. You really shouldn't. Just let things go."

"I shouldn't have to! Don't you ever get tired of being treated like a kid?"

Edmund raised an eyebrow at him as he pulled Karen onto his lap.

"Uhm, we are kids?"

"Well, I wasn't always. It's been a year. How long does he expect us to wait?"

Peter sat down dejectedly. James and Kenneth leaned against the wall on either sides of the bench and Cathleen stood facing Peter.

"I think it's time to accept we live here," Susan said," It's no use pretending any different."

"There's a bit of reality for you," Kenneth added.

Cathleen bent down and put a hand on Peter's cheek.

"I want to go back as badly as any of us, but we can't go around wishing for things out of our control. We'll go back when we go back."

She kissed him on the forehead, only making him sigh. It was then that Lucy jumped up.

"Ow! Something pinched me."

The eight children all stood up and looked around at each other looking for the person who had touched them. It was then that the feeling changed.

"It feels like magic," James said.

"Quick, everyone hold hands," Susan said.

Edmund looked at his brother.

"I'm not holding your hand!"

Peter grabbed his hand anyway as the tiles started to tear off the walls and the wind picked up, making papers and the tiles fly past them. They all stood in a line holding hands as the train before them travelled on as if it was never ending. Soon, there was nothing there but a dark cave and a brightly lit opening to their right. They all looked around at each other, smiles appearing on each of them. They stepped out into the sun to see a beautiful beach. Taking off running, they all threw off their warm winter coats and scarves to jump in the water. They splashed each other with the salty sea water and got themselves completely soaked. Edmund stopped after a few minutes and looked up to the top of the rocks next to the beach.

"Edmund?" Karen asked, looking up where he was.

"Where do you suppose we are?"

"Where do you think?" Peter laughed.

"Well, I don't remember there being any ruins in Narnia."

The rest of the children looked up and saw that Edmund was right. There were ruins at the top of the mountain. James and Lucy were the first ones to head up to investigate. At the top of the rocks, they moved between broken walls and demolished columns. The youngest looked out at the sea from the top.

"I wonder who lived here," Lucy thought out loud.

Karen and Edmund passed a broken wall as Kenneth and Susan made their way toward Lucy and James. It was then that Susan stepped on a tiny gold man. Picking it up, she looked at it before handing it to Kenneth, who also looked it over.

"I think we did," Susan replied, looking around.

Everyone made their way over to Kenneth to see the small statuette.

"Hey, that's mine...from my chess set," Edmund said, taking it from Kenneth.

He looked it over in his hands, a small smile on his face. Karen watched him turn it over and over. Peter and Cathleen reached the group last.

"Which chess set?" Peter asked.

Cathleen grinned at him and rolled her eyes.

"Well, I didn't exactly have a solid gold chess set in Finchley, did I?"

"That's definitely yours," she said, looking around.

She started walking toward the center of the ruins as they others continued talking. Lucy saw where Karen was heading and stared.

"It can't be..."

She ran over to where Karen was standing with the others following close behind. When everyone was there, she turned them all to face where they had come from.

"Can't you see? Imagine walls...and columns there...and a glass roof..."

Karen sighed.

"It's Cair Paravel."

The queens all looked at toward the center courtyard they had once so meticulously taken care off to see the area overgrown with weeds and grass and the fountain smashed. They all decided to examine around their old home to see if they could figure out how it had become ruins. After walking for a few minutes, Edmund knelt down and examined some stones that had been set up on the ground.

"Catapults," he declared," This didn't just happen. Cair Paravel was attacked."

The boys all looked at each other seriously before moving over toward one wall that was the most intact.

"The treasury," Cathleen remembered, leading the girls after them.

The boys pushed back the wall to expose a door. Peter pulled the door's rotted wood away and it fell inwards. The musty smell of age and underground came up to them as they stared into the darkness that led downwards. Peter, using the utility knife he carried with him, tore the bottom of his shirt and then wrapped the strip of cloth around a stick while the others watched him. He looked up at Kenneth and Edmund.

"I don't suppose you'd have any matches on you?"

"Not me," Kenneth said, patting his pockets.

Edmund looked around in the bad he was still carrying over his shoulder.

"No, but would this help?" he asked, pulling out the silver flashlight Karen had bought him for his birthday a few weeks ago.

Everyone grinned at the look on Peter's face.

"You might have mentioned that a bit sooner!"

With Edmund in the lead, the eight children made their way down the staircase until they reached a dusty room with statues and chests in it. There were four small alcoves, each with two statues in it for each pair of kings and queens.

"I can't believe it, it's all still here," Peter said, looking around in awe.

They all branched off to their own chests which were each made out of solid gold. Lucy and Karen pulled out dresses of theirs.

"I was so tall," Lucy said, putting the dress up to her and finding it far too long.

Susan smiled at her younger sister.

"Well, you were older then."

Edmund put his old helmet on his head, which was far too big for him.

"As opposed to hundreds of years later...when you're younger."

Karen punched his arm lightly, making him grin at her. She pulled the helmet off of his head and laid it back in the chest.

"I always knew you had a big head."

"Hey!"

Cathleen opened her and Peter's chest as the eldest king blew dust off his old shield. She was happy to find her old sword in the chest. She took it out and slashed the air with it to see if she could still use it. It felt good in her hand and she was pleased to see she could still wield it. Finding a gold and white dress inside, she smiled at the fact that it would fit her just fine. Kenneth and Susan found their bows and arrows, but Susan pointed out that her horn was gone, probably left on her saddle the day they went back. James pulled out his and Lucy's daggers and found them in good shape. Edmund pulled a blue dress out of the chest and handed it to Karen.

"This one should fit you. There are a ton of dresses in here of that color."

"Thanks," she said, feeling the light fabric.

She peeked into the chest and saw another familiar blue and silver dress. She brushed the top of it with her fingertips. Edmund looked over her shoulder at it.

"That's the dress you were wearing when I proposed, wasn't it?"

Karen smiled up at him.

"You remember that?"

Edmund smirked at her and kissed the side of her head. Peter went over to Cathleen and looked into the chest and pulled out his most prized possession from Narnia: his sword. He unsheathed it and looked at the blade. Everyone turned to look at him.

"When Aslan bares his teeth, winter meets its death."

"When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again," Lucy finished.

Everyone looked her way, feeling a sort of sadness come over them.

"Everyone we knew," James said, looking at Lucy," Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers, they're all gone."

Everyone looked at Peter for guidance.

"I think it's time we found out what's going on," he replied, sheathing his sword," Let's change clothes so we don't stick out."


	11. Close Encounters

"So, Peter, how do we go about finding answers about what's going on?" Cathleen asked as they all marched back down to the beach.

"I'm not actually sure," he confided.

"Look over there," Kenneth pointed.

Coming along the edge of the land was a canoe with two men in it. They were dressed like soldiers. They looked like they were about to toss a dwarf into the water, who was tied up and gagged.

"Sue," Kenneth said, turning a back to her.

"Got it."

Susan took aim and landed an arrow on the side of the boat gaining the attention of all in the boat.

"Drop him," Susan said, cocking another arrow at the soldiers.

They threw the dwarf overboard making Edmund, Peter, and Kenneth take off running toward the water to save him, but not before Edmund and Peter handed the girls their swords. One of the soldiers in the boat picked up a crossbow, but Susan shot him in the chest, knocking him out of the boat. The second soldier jumped out of the boat in fear. Peter grabbed the dwarf while Edmund and Kenneth pulled the boat to shore. The girls and James made their way to Peter and the dwarf. James took out his dagger and sliced off the ropes as Lucy untied the gag. By the time the dwarf spit out the water he had swallowed and stood up, everyone was there. To everyone's surprise, he was quite angry.

"Drop him? That's the best you can come up with?"

"A simple "Thank You" would suffice," Susan said.

"They were doing fine drowning me without your help!"

"Maybe we should of let them," Peter glared.

Karen scowled at the dwarf.

"I never knew Narnians to be so rude. Shows you what hundreds of years can do..."

Lucy tried to change route the conversation was taking.

"Why were they trying to drown you, anyway?"

The dwarf breathed deeply, trying to calm down.

"They're Telmarines. That's what they do."

Peter and Cathleen exchanged confused looks.

"Telmarines...in Narnia?"

"Where have you been for the last few hundred years?" the dwarf asked with a sigh.

Cathleen grinned, handing Peter's sword to him.

"It's a bit of a long story..."

The dwarf stared at the sword as Peter took it back.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. You're it? You're the kings and queens of old?"

Peter stepped forward and stretched out his hand to the dwarf.

"High King Peter...the Magnificent."

The dwarf backed up a bit.

"Probably could have left out the last bit," Susan commented.

"Probably," the dwarf replied, chuckling.

The others smirked at Peter as he retracted his hand and unsheathed his sword.

"You won't be surprised."

The dwarf eyed him.

"Ohh, you don't want to do that, boy."

Peter grinned.

"Not me. Him," he said, looking at Edmund.

The younger Pevensie looked a bit surprised, but grinned back at Peter. Karen handed Edmund back his sword with smile. He took it and unsheathed it, preparing himself as Peter handed the dwarf his sword to use. He grabbed it hesitantly. When he did, he let the point hit the sand and he looked toward Edmund, who exchanged a glance with the others. The dwarf took the first move, swinging at Edmund, who blocked it and then dodged under the sword as the dwarf swung for his head. While Edmund was low, he elbowed him in the face, alarming his siblings and friends. Edmund stood up and went around the dwarf, giving him a whack on the back with the flat side of the sword. He looked up at Karen to see her roll her eyes at him. The dwarf turned and swung again only to be blocked like the last time. Edmund swung right after; making the dwarf dodged and slashed at his feet. The young king jumped over the blade and met his opponent's sword high and then again low. They continued like that for half a second more looking for leverage until Edmund found it and spun the sword out of the dwarfs hand and brought the sword tip to the dwarfs head as he fell to his knees in the sand from shock.

"Beards and bedsteads! It looks like that horn worked after all!"

Susan looked at him in confusion.

"What horn?"

"The horn of Queen Susan," the dwarf answered," It has been said that when the chosen hero of Narnia blew the horn, they would call the kings and queens of old to fight alongside them."

"Astounding," Kenneth said," So that is how we ended up back here."

James helped the dwarf up out of the sand.

"Since you know who Peter is, I'll let you know who the rest of us are. I'm King James, that's Queen Lucy, Queen Susan, King Kenneth, Queen Karen, Queen Cathleen, and King Edmund," he said, pointing to each in turn," What is your name?"

The dwarf examined them all carefully.

"Trumpkin. I should probably bring you all back to the Narnians. We need you to help us fight the Telmarines."

Cathleen looked at Peter.

"Well, if that's what we came here to do..."

They all agreed to get going, so they all got in the boat they had acquired and Peter and Kenneth began rowing them the way that Trumpkin instructed. They sailed between cliffs with green trees growing tall on top of them. Lucy looked around, looking at bit dismayed. James placed a hand on hers.

"Lucy?"

"The trees...they're so still."

Trumpkin looked up at the trees and then at the water below them.

"They're trees. What do you expect?"

Lucy looked at him seriously.

"They used to dance."

"Wasn't too long after you left that the Telmarines invaded. Those who survived retreated to the woods. And the trees...they retreated so deep into themselves that they haven't been heard from since."

Karen looked up at the trees.

"How sad," she said.

Edmund, who was sitting behind her, put a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't understand," Lucy continued," how could Aslan have let this happen?"

"Aslan? Thought he abandoned us when you lot did."

That statement made even Peter and Kenneth turn back to look at the dwarf.

"We didn't mean to leave you know," Cathleen stated, unhappily.

"Makes no difference now, does it?" Trumpkin replied, sitting back in his seat on the boat.

"Get us to the Narnians, and it will," Peter said.

They continued rowing until they reached a gravelly shore. Trumpkin grabbed the rope and dug the hook on the end into the ground so the boat wouldn't float away. Everyone exited the boat. The eldest of the group pulled the boat higher onto the shore while Lucy and James looked around. While Lucy was looking around, she noticed a black bear digging on the shore not too far from them.

"Hello, there!" she said.

The others all turned to watch as she approached the bear. It stood up on its hind legs and looked at her. James stood where he was as Lucy kept walking.

"Lucy," James said, unsure.

"It's alright, we're friends," Lucy continued, ignoring James's warning.

The bear dropped back down onto all fours, focusing in on her and growled. It was then that Trumpkin noticed what was going on.

"Don't move, Your Majesty," he said, his hand going to the sword on his hip.

Lucy turned to look at him as the bear charged.

"Lucy!"

James pulled his dagger from its sheath as Lucy came back running toward him. Susan cocked an arrow and came toward them. Kenneth did the same beside her.

"Stay away from her!" she yelled at the bear.

As the bear advanced, Lucy tripped. James ran up and stood before her, his dagger held out toward the enraged animal.

"Shoot, Susan, shoot," Edmund told her.

Susan couldn't seem to do it. In her moment of hesitation, the bear reached the youngest kids. Lucy screamed in fear as James tried to bar its way. Kenneth shot, but it wasn't the only arrow that hit the bear. Trumpkin had found a bow and an arrow in the boat and had shot pierced the bear as well. Susan looked at the others feeling ashamed.

"Why wouldn't he stop?" she asked.

Trumpkin made his way over to the now dead bear. James sheathed his dagger with sigh of relief as Lucy jumped up and hugged him. She was shaking from fear.

"I suspect he was hungry," was the dwarfs reply to Susan's question.

Everyone but Susan and Kenneth ran to their younger siblings. Kenneth put his bow away and lay a hand on Susan's arm, guiding her forward with everyone else.

"Don't worry about it, it's done," he told her.

When they reached Lucy and James, she let go of James to hug her older brother.

"Thanks," she said to Trumpkin and Kenneth.

Trumpkin examined the bear while Edmund glanced it over.

"He was wild."

"I don't think he could talk at all," Peter agreed.

"Get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that's what you become," Trumpkin replied," You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember."

Trumpkin began to skin the bear, making Lucy turn away and sob into her brother's shoulder.


	12. Seeing Isn't Believing

They continued on their way, Peter taking the lead as he believed Trumpkin had been going the wrong way. Peter believed his way was shorter. They travelled for a good ten minutes before Susan couldn't hold her tongue any longer.

"I don't remember this way."

Peter scoffed at her comment.

"That's the problem with girls, can't carry a map in your heads."

Karen looked at Edmund, who smirked and shook his head.

"Well that was rude!"

"Really, Peter, that was an insult," Cathleen said, pushing him so he moved a few steps away from her.

He moved back to her with a grin on his face. He bent close to her ear.

"I mostly meant Susan."

"Mostly?"

"Well that's because our heads actually have something in them," Lucy said.

Cathleen turned and winked at the girl.

"You got that right."

They climbed over substantially large rocks as they followed Peter.

"I still wish he had listened to the D.L.F. in the first place," Susan said.

Edmund looked at her in confusion.

"D.L.F?"

The girls all exchanged glances and then looked back at him.

"Dear little friend," they all said in unison.

Trumpkin stopped as Edmund chuckled.

"Oh, that's not at all patronizing, is it?"

They continued walking until Trumpkin posed a question that made them all stop.

"So, since you all are children again, are you all still married?"

The couples glanced at each other, wondering how to explain. Karen decided to speak for the group.

"I suppose it works like this. When we're in Narnia, we're technically married no matter what our age. Back home…we're not. But we did keep the rings."

The girls all pulled out chains that they wore around their necks with the rings they had been given on them.

"How odd," Trumpkin replied.

They started walking again. Lucy looked at Cathleen and Peter.

"Though, I have to say I've always wondered. Since Cathleen and Peter were married for quite a few years…how is it that they never had children?"

Peter looked at Cathleen and the two blushed slightly.

"I think it's because Aslan knew that we'd be going back one day and that having children would be problematic. Imagine if any of us had actually had children! If they had stayed in Narnia they would have lost their parents and not known what had happened. Or what if they had gone through the wardrobe? Would they have just disappeared or might Peter and I have had children that were about our age?"

A shiver ran through the group at that thought.

"Yeah, I guess the only place we could actually have children would be in our world. It kind of makes sense…" Karen agreed with her sister," Aslan knew what he was doing."

"Then please explain why he left when you did," Trumpkin said, ending the conversation as no one had an answer.

Peter then stopped. He was facing a rock wall that was impassable.

"I'm not lost," he said to himself as the other caught up with him.

"No, you're just going the wrong way," Trumpkin told him.

Peter turned to look at the dwarf. The young man's pride was quickly gathering wind.

"You last saw Caspian at the Shuddering Woods and the quickest way there is to cross at the River Rush."

"But unless I'm mistaken there's no crossing in these parts."

"That explains it then," Peter replied, turning back to the rocks," You're mistaken."

"Peter," Cathleen scolded as he stormed off going around the rock wall.

She jogged to catch up with him as everyone uncomfortably followed. They soon reached a drop off that had a rushing river below. Cathleen took Peter's hand as he stared down the cliff side. Susan came up beside them.

"See, over time the river erodes the earth's soil, decomposing it-"

"Oh, shut up."

"Hey, at least you weren't lost," Cathleen said, trying to lighten the mood.

Edmund looked at Trumpkin.

"Is there a way down?"

"Yeah, falling."

They all turned to look at the dwarf.

"There's a ford near Verona. How do you feel about swimming?"

"Rather that than walking," Kenneth said.

They all began to follow Trumpkin, except for Lucy and James. Lucy was looking across the gap.

"Aslan? It's Aslan! It's Aslan over there!"

She turned to everyone, pointing at where she'd seen him. James turned before everyone else and caught a glimpse of Aslan before he suddenly disappeared. The others looked around, not seeing anything.

"Don't you see? He's right-"she turned to see nothing," there..."

"Do you see him now?" Trumpkin asked.

They all looked around at each other.

"I'm not crazy," Lucy said, looking around at them," He was there. He wanted us to follow him."

"I saw him, too," James said," but...he wasn't there for long..."

Peter moved over to his littlest sister.

"I'm sure there are any numbers of lions in this wood. Just like that bear."

"I think I know Aslan when I see him."

The two stared each other down. Trumpkin looked at her skeptically.

"Look, I'm not about to jump off a cliff after someone who doesn't exist."

Edmund looked over at his sister.

"Last time I didn't believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid."

Lucy smiled at him. Peter looked across the way and then back at the group.

"Why wouldn't I have seen him?" he asked.

"Maybe you weren't looking."

"Sorry, Lu."

Peter, Susan, and Kenneth all turned and followed Trumpkin. Cathleen put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I believe you, Lucy, but you know Peter."

She kissed the younger girl on the head and headed after the others. Lucy looked back across the way. The three left just watched as she turned and followed after the others. As they followed, James took Lucy's hand.

"I know it's hard when no one believes us, but in the end you know things turn out alright. They'll see in time. Just like the last time."

Lucy smiled up at him as they continued on their way. They walked for a short while more before reaching the ford, but they had the unpleasant surprise of finding Telamarines swarming the place, apparently they were making a bridge to get across the river. The group watched from behind a huge stack of logs. They had to duck down quickly when a group on horses came around close to their hiding place. Susan looked at Kenneth.

"Perhaps this wasn't the best way to come after all."

Peter heard her and turned back into the woods, Trumpkin following right behind. They went back to the place where Lucy had claimed to have seen Aslan.

"So...where did you think you saw Aslan?" Peter asked.

Lucy got annoyed.

"I wish you'd all stop trying to sound like grown-ups. I didn't _think_ I saw him. I _did_ see him."

Trumpkin looked down at the ground.

"I _am _a grown-up."

Edmund smirked and Karen giggled. James followed behind Lucy as she searched the area.

"It was right over...AHH!"

The ground beneath her gave out. James tried to grab her hand, but that only made him fall with her.

"LUCY! JAMES!"

The others all ran and looked down from the hole only to find the two of them sitting on ground just below. Lucy and James looked back up at them with smiles on their faces.

"...here."

James stood up and helped Lucy to her feet.

"Great job, Lu."

The group traveled down the rock path, reaching a short set of stones they could step on to cross the river. Soon they had made their way up to the top on the other side. It had gotten dark so they set up camp. Trumpkin built up a fire in the middle of their little camp site. After setting up for bed and everyone appeared to be asleep, Cathleen looked over at Peter to find him still up.

"Peter?"

"I did it again."

She crawled over and lay down beside him, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Not believing Lucy?"

"Yeah. Some brother I am."

She let out a short laugh, making him look at her.

"Your problem is that, as leader, you don't believe it if you don't see it. You're pushing things to be your way too much. A good leader asks for help and sometimes follows the advice given by those trying to help. If there is anything you learned from being king of Narnia is that it is hard to rule alone."

Peter sighed and rolled onto his back.

"But people expect things of me. I _am _a leader."

Cathleen sighed. Peter was a tough nut to crack and she knew this conversation wasn't going to be enough to change his actions. Leaning over him, she kissed him before lying back down on the ground.

"Good night, Peter."

"Good night."

On the other side of the fire, Karen was playing with her ring while she was deep in thought. She jumped when Edmund plopped down beside her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"What makes you think something is wrong?"

Edmund took her hand and detached it from the ring.

"You always do that when you're worried. Come on and tell me."

Karen took a breath.

"Well, why is it that we always come here when there is a battle going on? I don't want you to almost die on me again."

Edmund pulled Karen into his arms.

"You're worried about that? Nothing is going to happen to me as long as you're with me. And I swear I'll be extra careful, okay? And I'm going to make sure that nothing happens to you, either."

Karen laid her head on his chest.

"Alright, I believe you."

The two fell asleep like that.


	13. Too Proud

In the morning, Cathleen woke up to the sound of a twig snapping. She turned in time to see Lucy going off on her own into the woods. She grabbed Peter's shoulder and shook him awake.

"Lucy just went off that way," she said, pointing.

Peter grabbed his sword and the two of them followed her. They walked through rows of trees. It seemed as if Lucy knew where she was going. Coming around a huge rock, Peter and Cathleen noticed a Minotaur prowling around the area below the rock. Lucy apparently heard it walking and was about to speak, but Peter covered her mouth and pulled her back down. Putting a finger to her mouth, he handed her over to Cathleen as he snuck around the rock. He unsheathed his sword and was about to attack the Minotaur when a young man attacked him. The two attacked each other for awhile. They were pretty evenly matched until the Peter knocked the guy's sword away, then Peter's sword stuck to a tree. As the guy tried to retrieve it, Peter was going to hit him with a rock until Cathleen and Lucy jumped out of their hiding spot and yelled for them to stop. An assortment of Narnian creatures, all outfitted in armor had come into the area. Peter looked at the guy who had attacked him.

"Prince Caspian?" he asked.

"Yes, and who are you?"

"Peter!"

The others came around, apparently having woken up not too long after they'd snuck off. Caspian looked down at the sword he had pulled out of the tree.

"High King Peter..."

"I believe you called."

"Well, yes. But I thought you'd be older."

"Well, if you'd like, we can come back in a few years."

"No! That's alright. You're just not exactly what I expected."

Lucy looked up at Cathleen with a grin on her face. Caspian looked the others over and his eyes landed on Susan. Kenneth narrowed his eyes at him and put an arm around Susan's shoulders.

"Neither are you," Edmund said, looking at the Minotaurs and dwarves.

A badger spoke up at that moment.

"A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes."

A mouse with a red feather attached to a ring around his ear and carrying a small rapier pranced out of the group.

"We have anxiously awaited your return, My Liege. Our hearts and swords are at your service," he said, bowing.

Lucy leaned toward her sister and Cathleen.

"Oh my gosh, he is so cute."

The mouse pulled out his sword and turned her way.

"Who said that?"

Lucy slid away from the girls.

"Sorry."

"Oh, uh...Your Majesty. With the greatest respect, I do believe courageous, courteous, or chivalrous might more befit a knight of Narnia."

Peter smiled.

"Well, at least we know some of you can handle a blade."

"Yes, indeed. And I have recently put it to good use securing weapons for your army, Sire."

"Good," Peter turned to Caspian," because we're going to need every sword we can get."

Caspian nodded.

"Well then, you'll probably be wanting yours back."

He handed Peter his sword back. The king took it and sheathed it once again. Turning, he headed toward the Narnians who all turned and followed as he and Caspian talked as they walked to where they had set up a base. As they walked, the badger, whose name was Trufflehunter, asked Trumpkin what the kings and queens were like. Soon they reached a large mountain that stood against the forest at the end of a long plain. Upon getting closer, they found that there was a procession of centaurs waiting for them. They led the way into a door at the base of the mountain. Inside, Narnians were preparing for battle. Walking toward the center of the mountain, they saw drawings of themselves on the walls. Caspian led them into a dark room. Lighting the room, they found themselves before the broken stone on which Aslan had died and come back to life. Lucy walked up and touched the stone before turning back to the others.

"He must know what he is doing."

They all looked at a carving into the wall off Aslan, wondering if she was right. Peter looked away first.

"It's up to us now."

He turned and made his way back to the other room. Cathleen watched him go, somewhat saddened by his attitude. The other's slowly left until only James and Lucy were left in the room.

"Aslan knows what he's doing," she said, sitting on a rock beside the broken stone," He spoke to me in my dreams last night. He told me that things never happen the same way twice. He's watching, but he won't go charging into battle this time."

James sat beside her and watched as she sighed.

"I think you're right, Lu. But Peter...he isn't going about things the right way. He thinks we should do what we think is right...which means we should do what _he _thinks is right. He isn't being reasonable."

Lucy looked up at him.

"You mean he isn't listening to Cathleen."

"Exactly. While Cathleen does her best to help him, we have to follow what we think is right, even if it conflicts with Peter. Right?"

Lucy nodded. The two headed back to the room to see a fawn come in and announce that he spotted a Telmarine scout out in the forest. Peter called a meeting of all in the army at the Stone Table.

"Miraz's men and war machines are on their way. That means those same men aren't protecting his castle."

Reepicheep, the mouse knight, spoke up.

"What do you propose we do, Your Majesty?"

Prince Caspian and Peter both began talking at the same time. The two stopped and looked at each other. Cathleen exchanged a glance with Karen, who raised her eyebrows at her older sister. Peter stared Caspian down until he conceded. He then continued.

"Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us."

"But that's crazy! No one has ever taken that castle," Caspian replied.

Peter looked back at him.

"There's always a first time."

Trumpkin agreed.

"We'll have the element of surprise."

"But we have the advantage here," Caspian pushed.

Kenneth stood up.

"If we dig in, we could probably hold them off indefinitely."

Peter glared at him. The tension in the room was stifling. Trufflehunter stood up from where he had been sitting.

"I for one feel safer underground."

The eldest king made his way over to Caspian.

"Look, I appreciate what you've done here, but this isn't a fortress, it's a tomb."

Edmund spoke up from his sitting place.

"Yes, and if the Telmarines were smart the Telmarines would starve us out."

Karen looked at Lucy who sat behind her on the Stone Table.

"This conversation is being overruled by men...that isn't good," she whispered, making the younger girl giggle quietly.

A squirrel stepped up beside Reepicheep.

"We could collect nuts!"

The mouse knight looked at him like he was stupid.

"Yes! And then throw them at the Telmarines! Shut up! I think you know where I stand, Sire."

Peter walked over to the leader of the centaurs.

"If I can get your troops in, can you handle the guards?"

The centaur hesitated, looking between Caspian and Peter.

"Or die trying, my Liege," he finally replied.

Lucy couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"That's what I'm worried about."

Peter looked back at her.

"Sorry?"

"Well, you're all acting like there's only two options, dying here or dying there."

"I don't think you've actually been listening, Lu."

"No, _you're _not listening. Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch, Peter?"

"I think we've waited for Aslan long enough."

Cathleen couldn't take it anymore.

"Peter, you're sending out a suicide mission if you attack that castle. We could lose half, or even more, of this army. Listen to reason and forget your pride. Your title means nothing if you make rash decisions like this. I'm sure Aslan has a plan."

Peter stepped up to her.

"Then where is he, Cat? Tell me. If we weren't on our own, then he'd be here."

"You're not giving any opinion but your own a chance. You're not thinking things through clearly."

"You don't understand. This is war. Victory goes to the ones who strike first."

"No, victory goes to the ones who think before jumping. Lives are at stake in these decisions. If you are smart about what to do, you have better results. What point is there to striking the castle? A slim chance that you can actually get at Miraz? You'll risk _hundreds _of lives for _his_?"

"You're just a stupid girl! You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Listen to me! What is wrong with you?"

"I've heard enough out of you."

Peter turned his back and walked out of the room. Cathleen stood, breathing heavily from shouting in the middle of the room. All the eyes that followed Peter out fell on her as he disappeared down the corridor. Reepicheep stepped up to her.

"Your Majesty...?"

She turned her back to the corridor and went back to her place beside Karen, who placed a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Do what he wants. He is High King after all..."

The army slowly dispersed to the main area of the base. Soon only Cathleen, Karen, and Lucy were left. The eldest girl looked at the two of them.

"I'm not wrong am I?"

Karen shook her head.

"Maybe we'll be lucky and Peter's plan will work," Lucy said.

"I hope so..."


	14. Castle Strike

Cathleen found Caspian standing on the side of the room, watching members of the army work later that day. She walked over to him. He smiled when he noticed her.

"Your Majesty," he bowed his head to her.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" she asked.

"Of course."

He followed her outside to the front of the base. Once they were outside, she turned to him.

"I know you disagree with Peter and it's pretty obvious that I do as well. But there is nothing either of us can do about it. It's his army now, even if his plan fails. All I have to ask is that you make sure he survives this. Peter is really a good person and a great king, but I don't know what has gotten into him recently. I guess leadership has gone to his head."

Caspian put a hand on her shoulder and the other on his heart.

"I swear to you, High Queen, that I will have him come back to you."

Cathleen smiled up at him as Peter came out of the base. The two looked at him as he stopped short and stared, his eyes narrowed. In a matter of seconds, he had marched over and pushed Caspian's hand off of Cathleen's shoulder and glared at him.

"You don't touch her again, got it?"

"Pete, calm down."

He rounded on her.

"Calm down? Did you forget you're married to me?"

"Actually, that's one thing that pretty hard to forget. You're being irrational, Peter, listen to me."

"I knew there was a reason you weren't siding with me. I can't believe this was it!"

"Peter, you never listen!"

Peter and Caspian were both speechless as the young woman slapped the High King and stormed off into the Aslan's How. Peter turned to Caspian.

"What was going on?"

The plan was in motion by that night. Two griffins carrying both Edmund and Karen swooped down to the watch tower. They landed on the roof on the opposite side to where the guard was. One griffin sneakily picked up the guard and threw him off the roof to his death in the moat far below. Edmund jumped down off the roof and then caught Karen as she jumped.

"Thanks," she whispered as he put her down.

The two moved to the edge and examined the castle walls. Sure that no one was looking their way; Edmund pulled out his flashlight and flicked it off and on, giving the signal for the griffins carrying Peter, Susan, Trumpkin, and Caspian to bring them in. Cathleen had refused to take any part in storming the castle, giving Trumpkin her place in the plan. The army moved closer to the castle, but stopped a short distance away until the right time. Reepicheep and his mice knights snuck their way under the gate to make their way to open it for the army. All Edmund and Karen had to do now was wait.

"So...is your sister going to stay mad at Peter?" Edmund asked, quietly.

"She isn't really mad, more like...hurt. I don't know if you guys have ever thought of it from our point of view, but as your support and guidance...it's kind of a big deal when our opinions are totally ignored."

Edmund nodded in understanding.

"How come you came to fight?"

"Had to make sure you'd be alright."

Edmund smiled at her. They waited and waited for the gate to go up. In his boredom Edmund started flipping the flashlight in his hand. Karen turned to him.

"Edmund?

"Hm?"

Not paying attention he lost his grip of the flashlight and went over the edge of the watchtower. The two watched as it hit the ground with a crash, making the two cringe.

"Way to go, Ed."

"You distracted me!"

"Oh, just come on."

The two began to quietly sneak down the tower stairs. When passing a window, they saw that a soldier had found it accidentally turned it on. Not knowing what it did, he moved it around his hand, the light shining up into the night sky. Edmund tugged Karen away from the window before jumping out of it and onto the soldier, knocking him out. Karen dashed down the rest of the stairs to reach Edmund. A bell started ringing, meaning that the castle had been alerted to intruders and soldiers started filing out all of the doors to the castle.

"So much for being lucky..."

Getting to where Edmund was, she found him in the middle of a sword fight with the guard. Peter came running out of the castle into to courtyard.

"Now, Ed, now! Signal the troops!"

"I'm a bit busy, Pete!"

Edmund kept fighting the one guard until he lost his sword. He looked at Karen to see her take out a guard with her sword that had come up to the tower. She turned and saw Edmund empty handed dodging the soldier and then noticed the abandoned flashlight.

"Ed, flashlight."

He grabbed it off the floor and completely knocked the soldier out with it. Karen ran over to him as he smacked the flashlight that was now not working.

"Now what do we do?" Karen asked, looking around for something remotely close to a flashlight," We can't exactly make a torch blink."

"I don't know! Come on."

Edmund kept shaking the flashlight.

"Oh, just give it to me."

She grabbed the flashlight, opened it up, realigned the batteries, screwed the top back on, and gave it one good smack before handing it back to Edmund. He looked at her odd, but tried turning it on.

"Oh, wow," he said, as it lit, "I love you!"

He instantly turned it toward the army outside the gate and started flicking it on and off. The army charged through the gate and the battle began. Edmund and Karen made their way onto the roof. When on top, they saw soldiers lining up to send a volley of arrows onto the fight below. The two exchanged a glance before climbing over and sliding down from the roof onto two of the soldiers, sending them off the edge. That grabbed the attention of the other archers. Karen was the first to run to the door to the right of them.

"Ed."

He turned and made it through the door just in time for Karen to shut it and all the arrows hit the door. The two of them ran up to the top of the tower they were now in. Upon reaching the top, Edmund pulled Karen through the door and then used his flashlight as a dead bolt. Turning, they found that they were at a dead end. If they jumped, they'd fall to their deaths. They turned as soldiers were trying to break down the door. Edmund turned to Karen.

"You're going to have to trust me."

"What?"

He pushed her off the tower. Karen stopped falling mid scream as a griffin caught her in the air. As it swooped back up, she saw Edmund jump as well, but not before retrieving his flashlight from the now open door. As they flew back toward Aslan's How, the army could be seen retreating, but there were far too many Narnian casualties in the courtyard where the fighting had taken place. Karen buried her face in the griffins back as she wept for those lost.

The surviving group arrived back at Aslan's How after dawn. Upon hearing the horn, Lucy, James, and Cathleen ran out to meet them. Leading the group was a very solemn looking Peter Pevensie.

"What happened?" Lucy asked, taking in the small number of soldiers.

"Ask him," Peter said, nudging his head at Caspian.

"Peter," Cathleen said, taking a step forward.

"Me? You could have called it off. There was still time."

"No there wasn't, thanks to you. If you'd stuck to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now."

"Don't fight, please," Cathleen begged, grabbing Peter's arm.

"And if you'd just stayed here like I'd planned, they _definitely _would be!"

Peter shoved her hand off.

"_You _called _us_, remember?"

"My first mistake."

"No, your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people."

"Hey! I'm not the one who abandoned Narnia."

"You invaded Narnia. You have no more right than Miraz does. Him, you, your father. Narnia's better off without the lot of you!"

Caspian yelled and pointed his sword at Peter, who did the same.

"STOP IT!" Cathleen screamed.

She lowered their swords as a wounded Trumpkin was lowered from a centaur. Lucy ran over to heal him with her cordial. Caspian sheathed his sword and went inside, the dwarf Nikabrik following him. Cathleen sighed and took a step back. Peter sheathed his sword and walked past her to go inside. She sniffled quietly and looked up at the sky.

"Oh, Aslan, help us...help me...help Peter."


	15. Love and War

Karen felt a chill run through her as she stepped into Aslan's How. She visably shivered, drawing Edmund's attention.

"What's wrong?"

"Something isn't right..."

Edmund suddenly felt the same way. The two watched each other for a moment.

"Caspian," they said in unison.

They went and got Peter before heading toward the Stone Table. Trumpkin followed them as Nikabrik had disappeared as well and Cathleen, seeing their worried faces, followed as well. Upon reaching the room, the found the stone arch fill in with ice and Edmund and Karen's worst nightmare could be seen through it: Jadis, the White Witch. Nikabrik stood smiling evilly to the side. Caspian stood inside a circle before the arch, flanked by a werewolf and a hag.

"Stop!" Peter shouted.

Trumpkin quickly engaged Nikabrik in a sword fight. Peter and Cathleen went for the hag and Edmund and Karen took on the werewolf. Lucy came in and tried to help Nikabrik but only distracted him for a moment before he got her dagger and threw her aside. As he went for the kill, James stabbed him from behind with his dagger. Edmund was thrown over the werewolf's shoulder but got a good stab in the leg on it. Karen fought it while Edmund got up. Once he did he killed it. Peter threw the hag and ran toward Caspian as Cathleen finished the hag off. He pushed Telmarine prince out of the circle and pointed his sword at the ice. The White Witch retracted the hand she had been holding out to Caspian for a drop of his blood.

"Get away from him!"

"Peter, dear. I've missed you. Come...just one drop. You know you can't do this alone."

Peter hesitated and began to lower his sword.

"He isn't alone," Cathleen said, grabbing the witch's attention.

A sword was then trust though her chest from behind. Peter, Cathleen, and Caspian all ducked as the ice shattered, revealing Edmund with a sword raised in his hands. He put his sword down and looked at Peter, who was in slight shock.

"I know. You had it sorted," Edmund said, walking back over to Karen.

The two left with the others. Cathleen stopped before leaving to turn about to look at the two of them. It was more than obvious that she was disappointed in the pair of them.

It was hours later before Cathleen could bring herself to go back into the room with the Stone Table. Lucy had gone in to talk to Peter as he hadn't left the room at all. She came in just as Lucy got up. The young girl smiled at her before leaving. When she was gone, Cathleen sat down where Lucy had been. It was awkwardly silent before Peter looked at her.

"How can you sit next to me after the things I've said to you? Done to you? Put you through?"

"Hmm," Cathleen thought, looking up at the carving of Aslan," Must be a habit. I've been with you for so long now; I guess I don't know how to be alone."

Peter looked down at his hands. Cathleen sighed.

"No...Truthfully, I continue to have faith in you. I just wish you had actually listened to me and believed in Aslan."

"I was wrong. I'm sorry. And about getting mad about you talking to Caspian-"

"Forget it. I'm sure Caspian explained."

Peter turned to face her, taking her hands in his own.

"It's lonely without you. I keep half wondering if things went so badly because, for once, I went into something without you right there beside me. I promise never to ignore what you have to say ever again. It was the stupidest thing I could have done. I was the stupid one."

Cathleen put a hand on his face and looked at him seriously.

"You're not stupid. You're brave. A little over-eager, but brave. And even if you make mistakes, Pete, I love you. Unceasingly."

Peter smiled.

"I love you, too."

Cathleen wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him.

"Kiss me, Pete."

He chuckled and leaned down toward her.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Edmund and Karen arrived in the room, just as the two kissed. Karen cleared her throat, making the two stop and look up.

"Pete, you'd better come quickly."

They all got up and made their way to one of the higher doorways of Aslan's How. They met up with Caspian there. Looking out across the field, the Telmarine army could be seen marching their way toward Aslan's How. Everyone else soon came and watched. Miraz could be seen riding a white horse. He was wearing a completely gold suit of armor. Every soldier had a mask on their face, but Miraz's was gold to match his armor.

"War meeting…now," Peter told them all.

The meeting was a small one with only the kings and queens, Caspian, Reepicheep, Trufflehunter, Trumpkin, and a select few others. The dwarf was very unhappy with Peter's new plan.

"_That's_ your next big plan? Sending a little girl into the darkest parts of the forest? Alone?"

"It's our only chance."

"And she won't be alone," Kenneth said, looking at Susan who nodded at him.

James took Lucy's hand.

"I would never let her go alone."

Trumpkin went over to Lucy.

"H-Haven't enough of us died already?"

"Nikabrik was my friend, too," Trufflehunter spoke from his seat on the stairs beside Edmund," but he lost hope. Queen Lucy hasn't and neither have I."

Reepicheep and others agreed that this plan was for Aslan. Trumpkin looked once again at Lucy.

"Then I'm going with you."

Lucy put a hand on his shoulder.

"No, we need you here. I'm already in good hands."

"We have to hold them off until they all get back," Peter said.

"If I may…"

Caspian stood up.

"…Miraz may be a tyrant and a murderer, but as king he is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people. There is one in particular that may buy us some time. You can challenge him to a duel. If he refuses, he will appear as a coward. If accepted, you can fight him until the others get back."

The others watched for Peter's reaction, waiting silently. Peter looked at the prince seriously.

"That is a good idea. How do we send out the challenge?"

"Send out a mediator with some guards, it would probably need to be someone of enough of a presence and not the challenger."

"I'll go," Edmund volunteered.

"I as well. I would suggest we take two moderately intimidating escorts," Karen added.

Peter nodded.

"All is decided then."

-Author's Note-

Hello! Important note: I messed up on chapter 14 and omitted the whole first section. I reloaded it correctly and the attack on the castle should no longer be the first part. Please go back and read it if you want the whole story. Also, I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the reviews. They really keep this story going and I love hearing what you guys like about the story and each chapter. Chapters will start coming out a bit slower as I'll be back at college, but I'll keep updating as soon as I can. Thank you! –S.L.


	16. The Challenge

Edmund and Karen cross the plain to meet with Miraz and his council. As escorts, they had a giant and a centaur, which kept most Telmarine soldiers away from the plaza as Edmund read the challenge from Peter.

"I, Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands, in order to prevent the abominable effusion of blood, do hereby challenge the usurper Miraz to single combat upon the field of battle. The fight shall be to the death. The reward shall be total surrender."

With that, Edmund rolled up the letter and waited for them to speak. Karen, standing behind to his right looked around the council. They seemed to like this idea more than their king just by the expressions on their faces.

"Tell me, Prince Edmund-"

"King."

Karen tried to hide her grin as Miraz gave him a skeptical look.

"Pardon me?"

"It's _King _Edmund, actually. Just king though. Peter is the High King. I know it's confusing."

"And your friend...?"

"My wife. It's hard to explain."

Miraz shook his head and decided to just move on.

"Why do you risk such a proposal when our armies could wipe you out by nightfall?"

Edmund look back at Karen before turning back to Miraz.

"Haven't you already underestimated our numbers? I mean, only a week ago, Narnians were extinct."

"And so you will be again."

"Then you should have little to fear."

Miraz laughed.

"This is not a question of bravery."

"So you're _bravely _refusing to fight a swordsman half your age?"

Karen had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She could only keep herself from not doubling over by grabbing the back of Edmund's suit. Miraz leaned forward in his chair and glared.

"I didn't say I refused."

One of the council spoke up.

"You shall have our support, whatever your decision, Your Majesty."

"Sire."

Lord Sopespian smiled at the king.

"Our military advantage alone provides the perfect excuse to avoid-"

Miraz jumped up.

"I'm not avoiding anything!"

"I was merely pointing out that My Lord is well within his right to refuse."

General Glozelle, standing by the pavilion exit stood up straight.

"His Majesty would never refuse."

Everyone turned to look at him.

"He really has the chance to show the people the courage of their king."

Edmund and Karen turned back to Miraz. He pointed his sword at Edmund.

"You, you should hope your brother's sword is sharper than his pen."

Edmund smiled with success as they left the Telmarine camp. Karen took his hand as they walked back.

"Have I ever told you how much I admire your talent for shaming evil people into doing things you want them to?"

"Nope."

"Well, you were pretty impressive back there, Edmund."

The two shared a smile as they made their way across the field to tell Peter the good news.

Back at Aslan's How, two horses were being saddled up. Lucy and James sat on one and Susan and Kenneth the other. When the battle started, Caspian would let them know and they would head into the woods. When Edmund and Karen came back and informed the others of the challenges approval, Peter went to get ready. Cathleen helped him get his armor on. She could tell that Peter was confident in holding Miraz and his attack off until the others came back.

"What do you think the chances of him beating me are?" Peter asked, as she fixed his shoulder armor.

"You're younger than him. At best you're faster, stronger, and definitely smarter. He'd have to cheat to win, I think. You're used to battle and you're great with a sword. Looking at you, one can forget you spent fifteen years in Narnia."

Peter smiled to himself. He felt stable in his confidence as long as she had faith in him.

"And if I did die, you'd look after the others?"

"Only after I'd killed Miraz myself, but you're not going to, Peter."

She handed him his helmet, which he put under his arm. Peter brought her into his arms and kissed her as if it would be the last time.

"Have I ever told you how attractive you look in chainmail?" he asked her, putting on his helmet.

Cathleen laughed.

"Only every time I've worn it."

Peter picked up his shield and the two headed to the entrance to meet Edmund, who was carrying his sword, and Karen. Edmund looked up at his older brother.

"Ready, Pete?"

He nodded and the four of them moved out to the battlefield. The Narnian's shouted and cheered for Peter while Miraz, suited in his gold armor, and his men watched them come. Miraz stood as Peter reached the edge of the ring and unsheathed his sword. Edmund laid the sheath on the ground to his right. Miraz took his helmet from Lord Sopespian and placed it on his head. The two stepped into the ring and faced off against each other. Cathleen turned to examine the worried faces of the Narnians. She desperately hoped their worries had no foundation.

"There is still time to surrender," Miraz said to Peter.

"Well feel free."

"How many more must die for the throne?"

"Just one."

The two started their fight. Peter was doing well and even slashed Miraz in the leg. It was then that Miraz appeared to get angry and knocked Peter to the ground, stepping on his shield. Peter screamed, making Cathleen and many others cringe. Peter rolled away as Miraz continually attacked him. Peter luckily tripped Miraz up and rose to his feet. It was then that he saw Kenneth and Susan come riding in from the woods. Miraz stood up and noticed Peter looking off to the side.

"Does his highness need a respite?"

"Five minutes?"

Miraz, intending it as banter, scoffed.

"Three."

The two staggered off the field, Edmund meeting Peter to pick up his helmet, as he had lost it during the fight after Miraz had elbowed him in the face. Susan and Kenneth met Peter at the edge of the ring with Caspian.

"Lucy?"

"She got through," Kenneth said.

"Good."

Peter leaned against Cathleen, his arm still hurting.

"You better get out of here, just in case," Peter said to her," I don't expect the Telmarines to keep their word. Take Susan with you."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll tell Susan to go, but I won't."

She turned to Susan.

"What happened out there, anyway?"

-In the woods earlier-

The two horses hadn't gone far before Telmarines had spotted them. They chased after them, but they were bound to catch up. Kenneth shouted to his younger brother.

"You're going to have to take Lucy on without us."

He stopped the horse he and Susan were on and the two jumped off. The horse ran off and Lucy and James stopped at the top of a hill as the Telmarines bore down on their elder siblings. They were fighting them off well so they sped on. After killing the last Telmarine in the area, the two saw Caspian ride toward them, the horse they had been riding following close behind. He handed Kenneth the reins.

"Good fight; now let's get back to Peter."

After Susan's explanation, they understood. Peter hugged her brother before heading back into Aslan's How before a fight ended up breaking out.

"Keep smiling," Edmund told Peter, taking in the worried Narnians watching.

Peter turned to them and smiled, holding his sword out as if fighting Miraz was nothing. He sat down on a stone, cringing from pain as Caspian took the shield off his arm. Peter looked up at Edmund.

"I think it's dislocated."

Edmund moved around his brother to get to his shoulder. Cathleen and Karen just watched.

"What do you suppose happens back home...if we die here?" Peter asked.

He looked up at Edmund who suddenly appeared worried.

"You know, you've always been there for me and I never really-AGH!"

He had been cut short by Edmund putting his shoulder back into place.

"Save it for later," he said, moving off to the side.

Cathleen smiled as she helped Peter struggle to his feet. Letting him go, he and Miraz stumbled back onto the field, both refusing helmets for this round. Karen moved over to Edmund who looked a little out of it.

"That was pretty smooth," she told him, grinning.

Edmund looked down at her and smile.

"You're very complimentary today."

"Just enjoying the tension and impending battle that I feel is unavoidably coming."


	17. For Narnia!

Peter and Miraz started the battle quickly ad vigorously. The two each had their moments of success, but the Narnians began to worry when Peter fell and Miraz kept attacking. Peter luckily tripped Miraz. When he got up, they kept fighting. Peter lost his shield and Miraz lost his sword. When Peter lost his sword, too, Cathleen turned to Edmund who looked ready to jump in, but knew he couldn't. Miraz kept pounding Peter with his shield, until Peter grabbed it and they fought for control. Peter swung it around so Miraz's arm was behind his back, but the older man elbowed him in the face and threw him. He then picked up a sword, making Peter having to keep dodge his attacks. Peter then punch Miraz in his injured leg, making the man go down on his knees.

"Respite! Respite!"

"Now's not the time for chivalry, Peter!" Edmund shouted.

Peter hesitated before moving back toward the Narnians. Miraz picked up his sword and turned to attack Peter.

"Peter, look out!" Cathleen shouted.

Peter turned and dodged. He grabbed the sword, wrenched it free of Miraz, and stabbed the unsportsmanlike King in the side of his chest. Miraz fell to his knees as Peter held the sword high, prepared to kill him. Miraz looked up at him.

"What's the matter, boy? Too cowardly to take a life?"

Peter glared down at the man as he lowered the sword.

"It's not mine to take."

He turned and held out the sword hilt to Caspian. Everyone watched as Caspian slowly made his way to Peter and took the sword. Peter picked up his own sword and moved back to stand between Cathleen and Edmund. Caspian raised the sword, prepared to behead Miraz.

"Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe you do have the makings of a Telmarine king afterall."

Caspian screamed and stabbed the sword into the ground. He looked Miraz right in the face.

"Not one like you. Keep your life, but I'm giving the Narnians back their kingdom."

He turned and made his way back to the kings and queens of Narnia. The Narnian cheered. Lord Sopespian made his way over to Miraz. Caspian moved back toward Aslan's How until everyone turned to see Miraz fall over dead, an arrow with a red feather at the end.

"Treachery!" Sopespian shouted," They shoot him! They murdered our king!"

Cathleen turned to look up at Susan and Kenneth, who were back with the archers. Susan's arrows were red feather tipped, Kenneth's were gold.

"It's one of Susan's arrows, but she didn't shoot."

Peter turned up to the archers.

"Be ready!"

Karen and Cathleen pulled out their swords. Caspian saw a soldier coming at them.

"Peter!" he screamed.

The young king turned and killed the soldier.

"Go!" he commanded the army.

Caspian went and got his horse as the Telmarines began tossing catapults at the army that stood prepared to strike. At the front were half of the kings and queens of Narnia. When the Telmarine cavalry was halfway to them, Peter looked back at Caspian. The rider instantly turned, the centaur general, Glenstorm, following. Peter began counting to ten. On ten, the ground before the Telmarines gave out. Peter and Caspian had come up with a plan to have half the Narnian army take out the pillars underground to collapse the field. It was in the confusion that Kenneth and Susan ordered a volley of arrows be delivered on the opposing army.

"Charge!"

A horse came riding by and Edmund jumped on as everyone else surged forward into battle, having picked up the crossbow he had set out earlier. Caspian and the rest of the army came charging in between the Telmarine cavalry and the rest of the Telmarine army having used trapdoors to get up to the field. As the rest of the Telmarine army moved forward, Kenneth signaled for the griffins to take flight. In their claws they held dwarf archers who sent arrows down on the army. The Telmarines shot huge spears that the creatures, taking some of them down. Peter turned to look at Susan.

"Lucy," he mouthed.

Susan shook her head, the younger girl not in sight. Peter commanded them back to Aslan's How. Seeing what they were trying to do, Sopespian ordered that a catapult take out the door. Rocks came down and covered their exit. The army stopped and turned to look back at the Telmarines. Looking up at the archers, the ground beneath Susan fell. Kenneth and Trumpkin each grabbed an arm to keep her from falling.

"Sue, drop down to your right, there is a landing."

They let her go and she landed safely. She turned to Peter and the others below to show she was alright. They turned back to the fight. Kenneth jumped down to her and the two of them made their way down onto the battlefield. Edmund jumped off his horse and threw down the crossbow, taking out his sword. They all stood together facing the enemy. They all took off running to meet the Telmarines head to head in battle.

James and Lucy rode at top speed through the woods, looking for any sign of the great lion. A Telmarine was hot on their trail.

"I don't think we can outrun him, Lucy," James said, preparing to turn the horse back to challenge him.

It was then that they saw a streak of gold making its way toward them. Soon, a lion was beside them. It let out a loud roar, causing the horse to scare and knock the two children off its back. The horse dashed off as the two stared in fear at the ferocious looking lion. When they thought it was going to attack, it jumped over them and tackled the Telmarine soldier right off his horse and let him run away. Lucy and James scrambled to their feet and moved toward the lion.

"Aslan!" Lucy said, and the two ran to him.

He laughed as Lucy and James tackled him in a hug.

"I knew it was you," Lucy said," The whole time, I knew it! But only James believed me."

"And why would that stop you from coming to me?"

The two exchanged glances and looked down guiltily. James spoke.

"We're sorry. We were too scared to come alone."

Lucy scooted closer to Aslan.

"Why didn't you show yourself? Why didn't you come roaring in and save us like last time?" she asked.

"Things never happen the same way twice, dear one."

"If I had come earlier, and everyone who had died...could I have stopped that?"

"Lucy..." James said, putting an arm over her shoulders.

"We can never know what could've happened, Lucy," Aslan answered," But what _will _happen is another matter entirely."

"Will you help?" James asked.

"Of course. As will you both."

James looked ready, but Lucy looked a bit down.

"Oh...I wish I were braver."

"If you were any braver, you'd be a lioness. Now, I think your friends have slept long enough, don't you?"

Aslan got up and roared loudly. Trees began to move around them. James and Lucy smiled.

"Where will we go now, Aslan?"

"You shall see, dear ones. Now let's go."

The battle was started to look very bad for the Narnians. Their smaller army was quickly being taken down in numbers. Everything was looking grim, until Karen turned and caught a glimpse of movement in the trees. No...that wasn't right...the _trees _were moving.

"Peter!" she shouted.

Peter turned to her and then in the direction she was looking. His jaw dropped. Telmarines were running away as huge trees, their roots moving them along, came charging onto the battlefield and taking out the Telmarine army. Karen grinned as all the others gathered together.

"Lucy and James got through! They found Aslan!"

The trees were digging their roots into the ground and destroying the catapults. It was quite a sight. Peter raised his sword, hope renewed.

"For Aslan!" he shouted.

They followed the retreated Telmarine army to the river where they had set up the bridge to get them across. The army stopped as they found Lucy and James making their way slowly toward the bridge. They looked confident and unafraid. The Narnians stopped at the edge of the forest. When the kings and queens saw their siblings on the other side of the river, their faces lit up with happiness and relief. The younger children pulled their daggers out, making Sopespian unsure. He was especially unsure when a great lion stepped out of the woods behind the two children. He decided quickly.

"Charge!"

The Telmarine surged forward into the water and across the bridge toward Lucy, James, and Aslan. The latter let out a huge roar, making the water ripple and causing Sopespian and his army to stop in their tracks. The Telmarines looked around in confusion as the river water level decreased. Sopespian looked off to his right. The army scattered as a surge of water came toward them. The water made the form of a man with a long, white foam beard. It lifted up the bridge high up into the air. Telmarines fell or jumped off the bridge, leaving only Sopespian on the bridge held by the water giant. Sopespian screamed as the water giant swallowed him and he was never seen or heard from again. The water level went back to normal. The Telmarine weapons were quickly taken from them by Narnian soldiers. The kings and queens of Narnia made their way across the river to meet with Lucy, James, and Aslan. They all bowed before him.

"Rise, Kings and Queens of Narnia."

They all stood, except for Caspian who remained on his knees.

"All of you," Aslan said, smiling.

Caspian looked up slowly.

"I do not thing I am ready."

"It's for that very reason that I know you are."

The new king slowly stood up as the others smiled at him, encouragingly. Suddenly, the mouse knights came through carrying Reepicheep on a stretcher they had made for him. Lucy ran over and dropped some healing liquid into his mouth. He gasped and got up with the help of some other mice.

"Oh, thank you, Your Majesty, thank you."

It was then that he spotted Aslan.

"Oh! Aslan! It is a great pleasure to be in-Ah!"

He fell forward and turned to see that he no longer had his tail. It had apparently been cut off during the battle.

"I'm completely out of countenance! I must crave your indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion."

He moved toward Lucy and looked up at her.

"Maybe a drop more?"

James chuckled as Lucy looked skeptically at her cordial.

"I don't think it does that."

"You could have a go..."

Aslan laughed, causing Reepicheep to look back at him.

"It becomes you well, small one."

"All the same, Great King, I regret that I must withdraw. For a tail is the honor and glory of a mouse."

He took his sword and held it out to Aslan.

"Perhaps you think too much of your honor, Friend."

"Well, it's not just for the honor. It's great for balance, a-and climbing, and grabbing things!"

Aslan grinned and looked over at Lucy and James who smiled back. The other mice knights unsheathed their swords and held up their tails.

"May it please, Your High Majesty, we will not bear the shame of having an honor denied to our chief."

They were completely prepared to cut their tails off, but Aslan laughed.

"Not for the sake of your dignity, but for the love of your people."

Reepicheep's tail suddenly grew back. All the mice were stunned.

"Oh! Oh ho! Look! Thank you! Thank you, My Liege! I will treasure it always. From this day forward it will serve as a great reminder of my huge humility."

The kings and queens and Aslan laughed.

"Now! Where is this "dear little friend" you've told me all about?" Aslan asked Lucy and James.

The two looked toward Trumpkin, who looked back at them and Aslan nervously. He slowly made his way over and knelt before Aslan. The great lion roared, making the dwarf jump. The others smiled.

"Do you see him now?" Lucy asked.

Trumpkin couldn't help but give her a small, quick smile.


	18. Bitter but Sweet

The next day, Caspian was announced officially as King of Narnia and there was a parade in honor his coronation. With Caspian in the lead, the Pevensies and Crests and those who fought in the battle went through the streets of town outside the Telmarine castle. Flowers were thrown at them and people cheered for them happily. Karen sat behind Edmund and smiled at everyone.

"Haven't been greeted like this in awhile, huh, Ed?"

She felt Edmund chuckle as they all made their way up to the castle. That night there was a celebration like no other in the castle. A feast was held and there was lots of dancing for hours and hours. Fireworks were even set off in their honor. Peter and Cathleen left the celebration early to retire to their room, a fact that Edmund and Karen made jokes about until James confirmed that their jokes rang true. When all the guests has left the castle and everyone had retired to their rooms, Edmund and Karen were left bored. The room they had was like every other one, dark cinder block walls, a cold cement floor, and red tapestries everywhere with the symbol of Aslan. Even the canopy beds had red bed sheets. Edmund collapsed onto the bed and lay down as Karen looked around the room for a few minutes.

"This castle seems so much colder than Cair Paravel," she said, looking out a window and shivering.

Edmund rolled off the bed and went over to her. He put his cheek against hers and placed his arms on top of hers from behind and brought them around so she was hugging herself as he hugged her. Warmth instantly flooded through her from his body temperature.

"Better?" he asked, closing his eyes.

Karen nodded and the two stood there for awhile, enjoying the other's company. Eventually, Edmund sighed, making Karen look back at him.

"What?"

"We'll have to go home tomorrow, probably."

"Oh."

Edmund took her hand and they both sat down the bed. The boy looked dead serious as he looked at her.

"Karen…I want to join the war when I get off from school next year."

"WHAT? No!"

"I've fought in battles here!"

"It's different back home. They have _guns_, Edmund. Those are ten times more dangerous than swords. You could get killed before taking a step. You're great with a sword, Ed, but a gun?"

"It can't be that hard."

"Edmund, please, no!"

She started to cry, making Edmund feel bad. He pulled her into his arms and caressed her hair.

"I'm sorry; I won't speak of this again."

"No, I-I'm glad you t-told me, but please don't!"

Edmund lifted up Karen's face and brushed away the tears.

"We'll talk about it later, then?"

She nodded, sniffling. Edmund kissed her, before putting her to lie down and sleep. She eventually stopped crying and fell asleep in Edmund's arms.

The next day around noon, Caspian had gathered the Narnians and men out in the castle courtyard before a great tree on the grounds. He stood before everyone with the Kings and Queens of Old to his left, Aslan, Glenstorm, and other important Narnians stood to his right.

"Narnia belongs to the Narnians just as it does to man. Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers."

A Telmarine spoke up.

"It's been generations since we left Telmar."

Aslan stepped forward.

"We're not referring to Telmar. Your ancestors were sea-faring brigands. Pirates run aground on an island. There, they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world. The same world as our Kings and Queens."

Everyone's eyes fell upon them. They looked around at each other in surprise.

"It is to that island I can return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start."

Many in the crowd looked around and whispered to one another, unsure of what to do. One voice spoke out of the ground, strong and sure.

"I will go."

General Glozelle had spoken and took a step forward.

"I will accept the offer."

Caspian bowed his head in respect as he made his way up to the Narnian King.

"So will we," Miraz's now widowed wife decided, stepping forward with her child and father.

"Because you have spoken first, your life in that world shall be good," Aslan told them.

With a single breath, he blessed them and opened up a doorway through the great tree behind them. The crowd was in awe. Slowly making their way through the newly created entrance, they disappeared to shock of all those watching. Some in the crowd grew suspicious.

"How do we know he is not leading us to our death?"

Reepicheep moved forward.

"Sire, if my example could be of any service, I will take eleven mice through with no delay."

Aslan looked up at the eldest Kings and Queens. The four glanced at each other and quickly decided. Peter moved in front of his siblings and friends.

"We'll go."

"We will?" Edmund asked, surprised.

Cathleen stood beside Peter and took his hand.

"Come on," she said," Our times up."

Peter, Cathleen following, walked over and faced Caspian.

"Besides, we're not really needed here anymore."

He took his sword off of his belt and handed it to Caspian, who was utterly shocked.

"I will look after it until your return."

"I'm afraid that's just it," Susan said, drawing everyone's attention.

Kenneth stepped up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"We won't be coming back."

The younger ones looked confused.

"We're not?" Lucy asked for them.

"You four are," Cathleen answered, looking back at Aslan.

"At least, we think he means you four," Peter finished as the two walked back to their siblings.

Karen turned to Aslan.

"But why? Did they do something wrong?"

"Quite the opposite, dear one, but all things have their time. Your siblings have learned what they can from this world. Now it's time for them to learn on their own."

Peter had a quick private talk with Lucy who looked ready to cry. They then all headed over to the Narnians to say their goodbyes. They bowed to them all, except Lucy couldn't help from giving Trumpkin a goodbye hug. With one last sad look around them at Narnia, they made a single file line into the tree and instantly came out in the subway that had been in before going to Narnia. The eight children all looked around at each other. A train stopped in front of them and they quickly gathered their things and got on. Before the doors had closed, Edmund rummaged around in his back.

"Do you think there's any way we could go back?" he asked, eventually looking up at them all," I left my new torch in Narnia."

They all laughed as the train went on its way.

Author's Note: I'll be putting up the next chapter soon, but then the rest of it will have to wait until the movie of the Dawn Treader comes out on DVD (that's April). I'll be working on other stories until then so please read them and look out around April/May for more Narnia chapters.


	19. Happy to Drown

"Ow!"

Karen stuck her finger in her mouth, hoping that her finger wasn't bleeding. James peeked into the room from the hallway and grinned at her. She was holding a half opened letter that the two had received from Cathleen that day. Cathleen had gone with Peter to stay with the Professor for the summer. Susan and Kenneth had gone with both sets of parents to America, the four adults hitting it off right away after meeting by the sake of Aslan, the children were sure. As Karen and James were staying with an older cousin named Eleanor, Edmund and Lucy were staying with an Aunt and Uncle of theirs, the two looked forward to letters from their sister. Kenneth kept up correspondence with Cathleen who would then relay some of the message back to the younger children to keep them updated. James walked into the room and pulled out a pocket knife he had gotten as a gift from their cousin upon their arrival at her home.

"You should use something _other _than your finger to open letters, Karen."

The girl pulled her finger out of her mouth and pursed her lips at him.

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead and be smart. Tell me why you were hogging the phone with Lucy and refused to let me speak with her or Edmund."

James's grin slipped off his face as he finished opening the letter.

"You would have ripped him to shreds."

"What do you mea-AGAIN?"

She leaped up to run to the phone, but James barred the doorway. She was irked slightly at the fact that they boy had gone through his growth spurt and stood a good two inches taller than her.

"He wants to join the war, Karen, is that _so _wrong?"

"No, but the fact that he is too young is! He's fifteen for goodness sakes!"

"Karen Rose Crest, sit down! He was already berated enough for it as the guy behind him called him "Squirt" before he got out of line. He tried to sign up as "Albert _A. _Scrubb" this time."

Karen sighed and went back to where she had been sitting. The two were in Eleanor's husband's study. Her husband, Paul, was off at war, but had said it was perfectly fine for the pair of them to use it as an entertainment room. James sat down in a chair next to her and put a hand on her arm.

"Sorry about using your full name. I know you hate when I do that."

"It's because you're my _younger_ brother," she smiled, ruffling his hair," I should be the one calling you by your full name, James Daniel Crest."

James handed the letter that was still in his hand to his sister.

"You read."

Taking it, she eagerly opened it and began reading.

_Dear Karen and James,_

_Get ready for a long letter, because I have so much to tell you. Kenneth and Susan are doing well. Kenneth has made it officially that he is courting Susan, finally! Susan is of course enjoying it. Though, our brother is less than amused that so many males are interested in her as well. He also has to find time to finish writing about our adventures from our last time in Narnia. He has his work cut out for him. Peter and I have wonderful conversations with the Professor about Narnia. He wishes to go back desperately, but who wouldn't? Now, I can't hold back from writing it any longer. We're getting married! Peter and I. He proposed. It was incredibly romantic and quite unexpected at the time. I'd been worried for the past three days because I could not for the life of me find my necklace with the ring on it. I supposed that Peter wanted to take my mind off of it because he invited me out for a walk on the grounds the morning before last. I was a bit skeptical as it was quite early and we hadn't had breakfast yet, but I went along with it. As we strolled through the path we came to this beautiful tree. Underneath it a picnic had been set up and, believe it or not, Peter had made everything himself. We had ham and eggs with bacon and bread with jam. It was lovely and we sat and talked. It was a bit chilly so Peter gave me his jacket, ignoring my protests. Such a gentleman, Peter is. Anyway, as we packed up and prepared to go back, Peter stayed kneeling beside the picnic basket as I got up. When I asked him what was wrong, he took my hand and slid my ring that had been missing onto my finger and apologized for taking the ring, but he had been wanting to propose for those days and just couldn't get up the courage until just then. And...he asked me to marry him and of course I said yes and practically hugged the life out of him (and yes, Karen, I kissed the hell out of him "like usual". I love you, my nosy little sister, you, too, James!) . Mother and father were thrilled since they really adore Peter (and all the other Pevensies, of course) and the wedding is planned for spring of next year. More details will come at a later time, but how are you both doing? I know it's hard with us all being separated, but you get to see Lucy and Edmund sometimes, don't you? Write back soon and let us know how you both and the others are doing! Send cousin Ellie our love. Miss you lots. Love, Cathleen_

Karen folded the letter back up and placed it on the table beside her.

"Wow," was all she could say.

James picked up a folder from Paul's desk that they used to keep all the letters they received. He placed the new letter in with the rest.

"I'll start on a reply letter tonight," James told Karen, putting the folder back and sitting in his seat again," Should we go see Edmund and Lucy?"

Karen shook her head.

"I'm sure they know about the engagement and I'd rather not have another run in with their disagreeable cousin, Eustace. That boy really bothers me."

James nodded in agreement.

"When do you think we'll go back to Narnia?" he asked, taking out his pocket knife and placing it on the table beside them.

"Soon, I hope."

No sooner had the words come out of her mouth that she felt something cold on her ankles. Looking down, her eyes widened as shock as she only just noticed that she was ankle deep in water that was quickly rising.

"James!" she shrieked, pulling her legs up onto the chair.

The younger boy noticed as well and jumped up, moving to the door. When he looked outside into the hallway, he was confused as there was no water in the hallway and the water was rising as if there was an invisible wall between the hall and the study. He tried to make his way there, but the door shut somehow, locking them in. The water was now up to his waist and Karen had stood up in her chair to avoid going underwater.

"Is it magic?" James yelled, wading back to his sister.

"I don't know, but get ready to go under!"

The water finally rose above them and they desperately swam toward the top of the water. When they thought they were going to drown, the suddenly made it to the top and they took a deep breath of salty air. Salty air?

Karen looked around and saw James behind her, but coming up on their left was a huge red and gold ship with what looked like a dragon figurehead. She and James swam so that they were out of the ships way. Someone leaped off the ship and dove into the water beside them. When the person came up, the two were astounded to be looking at none other than the Narnian King.

"Caspian!" they said, joyfully.

"Karen! James!"

A roped plank came down from the ship. Caspian helped the two get on and then pulled himself on as well. They were taken up to the deck of the ship, where they got off and were given towels. A minotaur came toward them and addressed Caspian.

"Three more just surfaced, Sire."

The three looked back over the railing and saw Edmund and Lucy to their delight. To their horror, Eustace was also there, screaming his lungs off. Reepicheep and Caspian jumped back into the water and brought up the rest of the soggy lot. Edmund and Lucy broke into smiles upon seeing their favorite companions. Lucy tackled James in a hug and Edmund grabbed Karen and kissed her vigorously, gaining cat calls from the crew watching. Karen blushed as the two parted.

"Welcome back," Caspian said to them all, smiling broadly," Kings and Queens of Narnia."


	20. On the Dawn Treader

As Eustace was dragged up onto the boat, Caspian hugged his old friends. Everyone was smiling.

"Didn't you call for us?" Lucy asked, drying her forehead.

"No, not this time."

Lucy and James exchanged confused glances. Edmund slung an arm around Karen's shoulders and grinned up at Caspian, who had grown a beard in their absence.

"Well, whatever the case, I'm just glad to be here."

It was then that a high pitched scream reached everyone's ears. Turning, Eustace had finally reached the deck. He was fighting something and screaming for it to get off of him. A larger than normal mouse then came sliding toward the group of royals and got up, shaking his wet fur. Karen looked up at Edmund with an accusatory look.

"You brought _him_?"

Edmund sighed.

"Not by choice."

"Reepicheep!" Lucy exclaimed, happily.

The mouse knight looked up at her.

"Your Majesties!" he addressed them with a bow.

"Hello, Reep," Karen smiled," What a pleasure."

"The pleasure is all mine, Madam."

He fixed the feather around his ear as it fell into his face. He glanced back at Eustace who was still struggling to his feet.

"But what to do about this hysterical interloper?"

The boy turned and pointed at him.

"That giant rat thing just tried to claw my face off!"

"I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs, Sir."

Eustace's eyes widened in shock as he stood up. He backed away in complete horror.

"It talked! Did you see that? Did anyone just hear that? It talked."

One of the crew members of the ship chuckled.

"He always talks."

Caspian smiled.

"Actually, it's getting him to shut up that's the trick," he teased.

"The moment there is nothing to be said, Your Highness; I promise you I will not say it."

Eustace was completely beside himself.

"I don't know what kind of prank this is, but I want to wake up right now."

James's eyes were wide as he watched the younger boy throw such a ridiculous fit. Karen could barely acknowledge the boy. Reepicheep looked up at them in irritation.

"Perhaps would could throw him back?"

Karen grinned and Edmund looked as if he were sincerely considering it. Lucy nudged him.

"Edmund!"

He grinned in response as Eustace marched across the deck and over to a group of the crew members.

"I demand to know where in the blazes am I!"

A Minotaur came marching up to him and answered his question.

"You're on the Dawn Treader, the finest ship in Narnia's navy."

Eustace passed out right then and there from shock. Karen began giggling uncontrollably as Caspian went over to the Minotaur. The crew laughed loudly at the boy's expense.

"Was it something I said?" the creature asked Caspian.

"See to him, will you?" Caspian asked.

"Your Majesty."

Caspian went halfway up the stairs leading to the helm.

"Men! Behold our castaways: Edmund the Just, Karen the Benevolent, Lucy the Valiant, and James the Courageous. High Kings and Queens of Narnia."

The crew bowed to them. Caspian came down and gathered his friends down to change into Narnia appropriate clothing. Lucy and Karen were put into loose fitting male clothing that the two decided they would hem to fit better. Once they were all done, Caspian led them to his room. His room was amazing. It had paintings from their first journey to Narnia. There was a painting of all eight of them riding through the forest on one wall and even a painting of Mr. Tumnus playing his pipes. The fireplace had the face of Aslan carved out of gold above it. Lucy and James instantly went over to it. Susan's bow and arrows were on display in the room. Caspian went over to a cabinet and took out a box.

"Lucy, James..."

The two looked and smiled.

"My healing cordial!"

"And our daggers."

They went over and were about to take them, but James held back.

"May we?"

Caspian chuckled.

"Of course. They're yours."

Edmund turned and noticed Peter's sword and made his way over to it. Caspian offered to let him hold it, but he declined, saying it was Caspian's. Karen made her way over to them.

"I did save this for you, though," Caspian said, going into his cabinet.

He pulled out the silver flashlight Edmund had left in Narnia. He tossed it to Edmund, who turned it on to find that it still worked. Karen grinned.

"Good batteries if they lasted three years."

Edmund put it away in his pocket. The group gathered around Caspian.

"Lucy and Karen can have this room. Across the way is an empty room with hammocks where we males can sleep. Your cousin will be sharing quarters with the crew. He'll be fine there."

They agreed it was a fine idea and headed over to Caspian's planning quarters. A map was set out on a table on one side of the room near drawings of seven men. Lord Drinian, the captain of the ship, had joined them in the room. Caspian explained that there was peace all throughout Narnia.

"Peace?" James asked, surprised.

"In just three years," was Caspian's proud reply.

Lucy tucked her hair behind her ear making Karen raise an eyebrow at the younger girl.

"And have you found yourself a queen in those three years?"

"No. I'm waiting for...just the right person, you could say."

Edmund looked over the map.

"Hang on. If there are no wars to fight and no one's in trouble, then why are we here?"

Caspian looked down at the map as well and sighed.

"That's a good question. I've been asking myself the same thing."

"So where are we sailing to?" Karen asked.

"Before I took back the throne from my uncle, he tried to kill my father's closest friends and most loyal supporters, the seven Lords of Telmar. He turned and faced the drawings. The others moved around the table to see the drawings better.

"They fled to the Lone Islands. No one's heard from them since."

Karen put a hand on Caspian's shoulder. Edmund eyed it warily.

"So you're searching for them."

He nodded.

"You think something has happened to them?" Edmund asked.

"Well, if something has, it's my duty to find out."

Lucy put a hand on the map.

"What's east of the Lone Islands?"

Drinian stepped up.

"Uncharted waters. Things you could barely imagine. Tales of sea serpents and worse."

"Sea serpents?" Edmund asked, skeptically.

"Alright, Captain, that's enough of your tall tales," Caspian said, picking up an apple and taking a bite.

"So I take it we're here to help you find these Lords," James said, putting an arm around Lucy, who smiled.

"That appears to be the case."

They all headed back up to the deck. Lucy and Karen broke away from the boys who were talking about having a practice sword fight, just the three of them. Lucy heard someone singing and the two headed to the front of the ship. Sitting on the dragon figurehead was Reepicheep.

"_Where sky and water meet,__where the waves grow ever sweet,__doubt not you Reepicheep,__to find all you seek,__there is The Outer East, doubt not-_"

"That's pretty," Lucy interrupted, scaring the poor mouse.

"Oh, thank you."

He made his way over to them.

"A dryad sang it to me when I was just a mouseling. I can't define the meaning, but I've never forgotten the words."

"What do you suppose is past the Lone Islands, Reep?" Lucy asked.

"I've been told the furthest East one can sail is to the end of the world. Aslan's Country."

"Do you really believe there's such a place?"

"Well, we have nothing if not belief."

Karen smiled.

"Very encouraging words, those."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lucy looked at Reepicheep seriously.

"Do you think you could actually sail there?"

"There is only one way of finding that out. I only hope I can one day earn the right to see it, Your Majesties."

With that he went back to his spot on the figurehead. Lucy looked down into the water and spotted some water sprites jumping and waving.

"Look, Karen!"

The two waved at them before getting up and sitting on the side of the ship to watch the three royal males' sword fights. They were all very well matched and the fights ended in ties. Caspian told them they had gotten stronger and it was apparent that they had. Afterwards, James and Edmund made their way over to the girls, having gotten drinks from the crew mates. Lucy looked up at her brother.

"Edmund, do you think that if we just keep on sailing to the end of the world we'll just…tip off the edge?"

"Don't worry, Lu. We're a long way from there."

"And maybe the world is actually round like ours is," Karen tried to reassure her.

It was then that Eustace made his way up onto the deck. He scowled at the four of them.

"I you're still talking nonsense, the four of you."

James made a face at him as he made his way over and stood beside Edmund. Karen just pursed her lips. Lucy tried to make nice.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, no thanks to you. It's lucky I have an iron constitution."

Reepicheep came over in time to hear his complaints.

"As effervescent as ever, I see."

"What a nice way of putting it," Karen muttered.

"Find your sea legs?" Reepicheep continued.

"Never lost them."

"Never had them," James grinned at his sister, who snickered.

"Merely dealing with the shock of things. Mother says I have an acute disposition, due to my intelligence."

Edmund choked on his drink, making Karen laugh. James raised his eyebrows at Lucy who just shook her head. Reepicheep leaned in toward the royals.

"I don't think he has _a cute_ anything."

Eustace started moving along the deck.

"I'll have you all know that as soon as we find civilization, I'm contacting the British Consul and have you all arrested for kidnapping."

He ran into Caspian who looked down at him.

"Kidnapping is it? Funny, I thought we saved your life."

"You held me against my will."

Reepicheep let out a scoff.

"Did I?" Caspian continued.

"And I must say those are the most unhygienic quarters. It's-It's like a zoo down there!"

"He's quite the complainer, isn't he?" the mouse commented.

"He's just warming up," Edmund commented.

"LAND HO!"

Everyone looked toward the front of the ship to see the strip of land coming into view. Caspian went up to the steering wheel to get a good view from beside Drinian. Karen moved over to Eustace.

"Good luck finding British Consul there."

He gave her an irritated look and moved off toward the prow.


	21. Slave Traders

Caspian stood on the prow with Drinian, Edmund, and James. He was looking through a telescope at the island that was now much closer. There was a city on the island. Lowering the telescope, he handed it to Drinian, who passed it to Edmund.

"Strange. Not a Narnian flag in sight."

"But the Lone Islands have always been Narnia's," James commented.

Drinian looked at Caspian.

"Seems suspicious."

Edmund handed the telescope to James.

"I say we prepare a landing party. Drinian?"

Drinian and Caspian exchanged a glance.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but the chain of command starts with King Caspian on this ship."

James whistled and Edmund looked over at him.

"Right."

"Long boats," Caspian said," Drinian, pick some men and come ashore."

"Aye."

Tavros the Minotaur informed the crew to prepare to land. Two boats were prepared to bring everyone across to the island. Reepicheep was excited. He jumped out of the boat and waited as they tied the boats to the deck.

"Onward! The thrill of the unknown lies ahead."

A crew member helped Karen and Lucy out of the boat. Eustace slid over to get out, but not without a complaint.

"Couldn't this have waited till the morning?"

Reepicheep looked back at him with a frown.

"There is no honor in turning away from adventure, my lad."

Caspian let the other kings and queens up the stairs leading to the town. Lucy frowned.

"Listen. Where is everyone?"

It was completely silent. It was like a ghost town. Edmund took Karen's hand as they looked around. Reepicheep offered Eustace a hand, but it was refused. The boy lost the strength from his legs as he got out and fell onto the stairs. Reepicheep sighed and turned away. The others made a face at the boy. Caspian looked at Lucy.

"And you're sure you're related by blood?"

Lucy made a face at her cousin and kept moving on. Suddenly there was a loud ring from the bell tower. Everyone pulled out their swords and Caspian aimed his crossbow at the top of the bell tower. Lowering their weapons, they headed up the ramp to the city.

"Reepicheep," Caspian said," Stay here with Drinian's men and secure the place. We'll head on. If we don't come back by dawn, send a party."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

They all headed up and found the place completely deserted. There was no one out in the streets and Eustace reported that there wasn't anyone in the houses. He kept pestering them about going back to the ship. Apparently the fact that night was setting in was getting to him. Edmund looked around at the others in annoyance before turning to his young cousin.

"Would you like to come over here and…guard…something?"

"Ah, yes!"

He ran over to them from across the squared they were in.

"Very good, cousin. Very um, uh…logical."

They were about to go into the bell tower, but they stopped and looked back at Eustace. Caspian sighed and pulled a dagger out of its sheath on his hip and handed it over to the young boy.

"I've got it, I've got it. Don't worry."

They all gave him a skeptical look and then went into the tower, Edmund in the lead with his flashlight. Inside there was barely light shining through the broken roof of the tower. Tons of brass bells were mounted on ropes at different heights across the top. Large statues of kings holding their heads in their hands, as they were disconnected from the rest of the body, were eerily creepy to look at. As they reached the middle of the room, Eustace called to them that he was ready to go when they were. On a stand in the middle, they found an open book. Names were written on both sides and crossed out.

"Who are all these people?" Lucy asked.

"Why have they been crossed out?" James asked.

Karen noticed numbers next to the name and pointed to them.

"It looks like some kind of fee…"

"Slave traders," Caspian answered.

The bells began ringing making them look up. Coming down from the ceiling by the bell ropes were the slave traders themselves. Caspian shot one down with his crossbow, but tossed it for a sword as everyone else had done. The fight was going well for the royals until there was a girlish scream from the tower entrance. The fighting stopped and everyone turned to see Eustace with Caspian's dagger being held against his throat by a man.

"Unless you all want to hear this one scream like a girl again, I say you should drop your weapons."

"Like a girl?"

"NOW!"

Edmund was beyond angry as he dropped his weapon.

"Eustace," he complained, angrily.

The rest of them dropped their weapons.

"Put 'em in iron. Let's take these three to market," the man said, grabbing Eustace by the ear and pointing at Lucy and Karen," Send those three to the dungeons."

"Listen to me, you insolent fool! I am your King!" Caspian yelled.

Edmund tried to struggle out of their grasp to get his sister and Karen, but the man holding him slapped him in the face. The two girls struggled against their captors but it was no use.

"You're going to pay for that," Edmund said.

"Actually, someone else is going to pay," said a man coming out from behind one of the statues," for all of you."

Lucy and Karen screamed after the boys as they were dragged away, but there was nothing they could do. Soon the boys were in the dungeons and the girls and Eustace were tied alongside many other people and creatures against a wall in the town square.

Caspian and James tried to tag team kicking down the door locking them in, but it was no use. Edmund was only just waking up from his sleep. The two kicking the door gave up and went over to Edmund. James helped his brother-in-law up.

"You alright?" Caspian asked.

"Yeah."

Caspian gave the door one more kick for good measure when I voice came out of the darkness on one side of the dungeon.

"It's hopeless. You'll never get out."

"Who's there?" Edmund asked.

Caspian went toward the voice to see.

"Nobody. Just a voice in my head."

As Caspian got closer, the man in the shadows leaned into the light a bit. Caspian stared for a moment before recognizing the man.

"Lord Bern."

The man looked at Caspian oddly, as if he was just remembering something.

"Perhaps once, but I'm no longer deserving of that title."

Caspian looked back at James and Edmund.

"Is he one of the seven," Edmund asked.

Caspian moved over to the man and knelt beside him.

"Your face," Lord Bern said," You remind me of a king I once loved well."

"That man was my father."

Lord Bern's face took on a saddened expression. He began to lean over onto the ground, but Caspian grasped his arm.

"Oh, my Lord! Please forgive me!"

"Please."

Caspian helped the man to his feet. As that was going on, James heard screaming and a wagon. He nudged Edmund and the two climbed up the blocks making up the cell wall to get a look through the bars that made up a window to the outside. There were about ten people in irons on a wagon. A man was running after the wagon. He grabbed a woman's hand at one pout, but was dragged off by two men. They grabbed him and punched him so that he fell to the ground. A little girl was behind them shouting for her mother. Caspian climbed up in time to see them loading the people from the wagon onto a boat.

"Where are they taking them?" he turned and asked Lord Bern.

"Keep watching."

The people were rowed out to the ocean. Suddenly the clouds grew dark and a shadow fell over the water before the rowboat. Green mist appeared on top of the water and it began to envelope the little boat. Suddenly, the boat and all the people on board were gone and the mist retreated until the clouds were white and puffy again.

"What happened?" James asked in awe.

"It's a sacrifice."

The youngest boy jumped down from the window as Caspian looked back.

"But where did they go?"

"No one knows. The mist was first seen in the East."

The other two boys climbed down from the window until they were all watching Lord Bern.

"There were reports of fisherman and sailors disappearing out at sea. We Lords made a pact, to find the source of the mists and destroy it. We all set sail, but none came back. You see, if they don't sell you to the slave traders, you're likely to be fed to the mists."

Edmund and James exchanged a look.

"We have to find Lucy and Karen before it's too late," Edmund said.


	22. More Crew Members

Karen watched unhappily as Lucy stood on the stage. She was being auctioned off. Karen shook the chains on her wrist. She sighed, as it was no use, especially since she had someone holding onto her shoulder with a vice-like grip. Lucy was sold and Eustace was moved up onto the stage. Karen knew she was next. She looked around the square trying to find something, anything, which could help her get loose. She saw a lot of the people watching were wearing light blue cloaks. She was about to look at the stage when she did a double take at one of the hooded men. She could have sworn she saw a rat tail pop out of the hood. For a moment longer, she stared before turning back to the stage to see Eustace arguing that his hygiene is fabulous.

"C'mon! Someone make a bid!" the auctioneer said, looking around at the crowd.

"We'll take him off your hands. I'll take them all off your hands."

Karen recognized the voice as Reepicheep and turned to see Drinian and other members of the crew rip cloaks off of themselves. The mouse knight sat atop Drinian's shoulder. She couldn't help but feel completely relieved.

"For Narnia!" the crew shouted before attacking the slave traders.

Karen wrenched her arm from the surprised slave trader and swung upwards, sending his jaw up to meet his top row of teeth before kicking him in the stomach and knocking him down. She ran up to the stage and grabbed Eustace, pulling him off the stage and hiding him around the corner of a house to hide. She did not like him, but she didn't want him to be skewered in the middle of the fight. Spotting Lucy and Reepicheep, she ran over and the mouse took time to unlock their chains with his sword.

"Thanks, Reep. I knew you'd come," Lucy said, before they all separated to attack someone who had turned their attention to them.

Lucy grabbed a book and used it to beat up one of the men while I found a sword on one of the guys who had been taken down and used that. Suddenly, people in the city itself came out of their homes to help fight the slave traders. With their help, the fight ended quickly. Karen and Lucy spotted Edmund, James, and Caspian coming down into the square. They had obviously been fighting as well. The girls ran up and gave them all hugs, and certain ones gained more than hugs for being alive. Everyone in the streets cheered for them as the royals and crew made their way back to the ship. As they went, the boys told the girls where they had gone and they were introduced to Lord Bern. They were almost to the ship when a man came running out of the crowd. A little girl ran behind him screaming "Daddy". The royals recognized him as the man who had chased after his wife when she had been taken.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Drinian grabbed the man and blocked him from getting to Caspian.

"My wife was taken just this morning."

"It's alright, Drinian."

The man was let go and he moved over to Caspian who put a hand on his shoulder.

"I beg you, take me with you."

"Gail!" a lady pleaded.

"I want to come!" she begged her father.

"No, Gail. Stay with your aunt."

Gail stopped and her aunt came up and held her.

"I'm a fine sailor," the man told Caspian," Been on the seas my whole life."

"Of course, you must," Caspian said.

"Thank you."

"But, Daddy!" the younger girl cried, having followed him.

"Have I ever not come back?" he told her, looking her in the eyes.

She shook her head as he aunt came up behind them. With a last hug he told her to be good and followed the crew. Lucy and Karen, who had lagged behind, shared a glance of sadness. It was far too similar to watching families part as the men went off to war. Reaching the docks, Lord Bern approached them with a sword covered in hardened sad and coral.

"My King!"

They stopped before him as he held it out to Caspian.

"This was given to me by your father. I hid it safely in a cave all these years."

Edmund was looking at it carefully.

"That's an old Narnian sword."

"It's from your golden age. There are seven such swords. Gifts from Aslan to protect Narnia. Your father entrusted them to us. Here, take it and may it protect you."

He held the sword out to Caspian. He took it and held it up as the townspeople cheered.

"Thank you, my Lord. We shall find your lost citizens."

As they headed back to the ship, Caspian stopped Edmund and handed him the sword. Lucy and James grinned at him. Karen sighed and Eustace looked at him oddly. Edmund's eyes lit up as he held the sword.

Back on board and once again sailing, Karen stood beside Edmund as he tended to the sword, working hard to clean it off. She found it extremely boring, but it made Edmund happy so she wasn't going to complain. She spotted Eustace hiding among a bunch of barrels talking to a seagull. She raised an eyebrow as Tavros and another crew member teased him about talking to birds. She sighed as Eustace shooed the bird away and moved over to him. She leaned over a barrel and looked down at him and his diary.

"You could _try_ to like it here."

"Why try and like a place as crazy as this? I'm still turning you all in for kidnapping when we get back."

Karen bit her tongue as the boy closed the diary with a snap.

"You could look at being here as a positive thing. Only those who need to come to Narnia actually do."

"What a load of rubbish! You're all mental and deluded."

"Said the one talking to a bird?"

"I assumed-"

"You know what they say about those who assume…"

Eustace glared at her. Karen sighed and put her hands on her hips.

"Look, if you don't want to make the best of being here, by all means go on the way you are."

With that, she flounced off back to Edmund who now had James beside him. He looked at his older sister and shook his head.

"I don't know why you even try."

"I'm starting to wonder why myself…"

Later that day, they were all astounded as Eustace was chased up to the deck by Reepicheep. The boy had apparently stolen an orange from the rations and the two got into a bit of a sword fight. It was obvious that Reepicheep was trying to teach him and get him to loosen up a bit. It seemed to work.

"Guess it takes a mouse to do the job, hm?" James whispered to Karen as they watched Reepicheep knock Eustace into a basket, knocking it over.

"Oh, ha ha"

The basket had yelped, gaining everyone's attention. The younger girl, Gail, from the island crawled out of the basket.

"Gail?" her father, Rhince, asked in surprise," What are you doing here?"

The girl stood up and looked at her father. He went over and pulled her into a hug. Drinian came over with the orange that Eustace had stolen in hand after Reepicheep had tossed it to him. Everyone watched Drinian in silence as he moved over to the girl.

"Looks like we have an extra crew member."

Everyone smiled as he handed her the orange. Lucy and Karen looked at each other, smiling.

"Your turn," Karen told Lucy.

Lucy smiled, remembering how being the youngest had made all the girls take care of her. It was now her turn to care for a girl younger than herself. She went over to Gail.

"Welcome aboard."

"Your Majesty."

"Call me Lucy. Come along."

She led the girl to Caspian's room that the girls had been sharing. Karen moved over to Caspian and laughed.

"Mind another person bunking in the boy room?"

"I think Edmund would be happy to share a hammock with his favorite lady."

The two grinned at each other as the crew got back to work. The two didn't notice Edmund frowning at them from the other side of the deck as he worked on the sword.


	23. Invisible Scuffle

Edmund had gone to find a sheath to put the new sword in. Karen followed him down after ten minutes to see that he had just found one.

"Hey."

He looked up at her and gave her a quick smile before placing the sheathed sword on his hammock. She went over and wrapped her arms around his neck so he couldn't get away.

"So, we never talked about this "joining the war" thing."

"Karen…"

Edmund didn't really want to tug her arms off, but he at least pretended to.

"Edmund, talk to me. Why is this so important to you?"

"Because, it's an honor to fight for England. They shouldn't have an age limit."

Karen slid her hands down his arms to his hands and held them.

"That's not why. You want to prove you're a man."

"And what's wrong with that?"

Edmund let go of one of her hands and went to sit on the steps to the room. He pulled her to sit down beside him.

"Fighting doesn't prove you're a man, Ed. You're smart and witty and even handsome. You could do much more than going to fight. Your brother was the same way and I don't understand how Cathleen even got him to calm down enough to study with the Professor. Don't try to be like your brother."

"I'm not; I just…want to protect you, as well."

Karen smiled and squeezed his hand.

"I don't want you to do that. I want you to be near me, with me. That's how it was in Narnia back then. You'd always come home, everyday. We were together and it made me happy."

"Karen, England isn't Narnia."

Edmund kissed her on her forehead and got up, leaving her to sit there. She sighed.

"Believe me, I know."

Up on the deck, Edmund found Caspian, James, and Drinian looking out at an island they were heading toward.

"It looks uninhabited," Caspian told the other males," But if the Lords followed the Mist east, they would have stopped here."

"Might be a trap," Drinian suggested.

"Ever the optimist you are, Drinian," James commented, making the Captain grin.

"Or it could hold some answers," Edmund stated, turning to the young King," Caspian?"

Caspian lowered the telescope and handed it to Drinian.

"We'll spend the night on shore; scour the island in the morning."

"Aye, Your Majesty."

Boats were sent to the shore carrying the crew and royalty. The men instantly began gathering sticks and starting a fire. James set up three blankets in a row in the spot of the camp that was farthest from the water. Lucy sat on the middle one and began reading a book with Gail sitting by her, the young girl just playing with sand. James sat down by Lucy, who smiled at him. The two started reading the book together like they loved to do. Not too far away, Karen was sitting on a rock watching Edmund set up their little space. When he was done, Karen went and sat on the blanket closest to the rock. She stared up at the sky, watching the stars. There were so many more that could be seen in Narnia compared to England. Edmund sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. They smiled at each other.

"You did a good job on the sword," Karen commented, nodding at the sword that was sheathed and resting against the rock beside her.

"Thanks!"

Edmund's smile glowed with pride, making Karen giggle at him. Edmund pulled her onto his lap and they watched the ocean. They stayed like that until their eyes began to droop. They eventually made space on the blankets and went to sleep.

The two were woken up again in the morning back Caspian shaking them in obvious concern.

"Ed…Karen…Ed, wake up! Look."

Edmund turned and looked up at Caspian as Karen sat up.

"What? What's wrong?"

Getting up, they saw huge footprints in the sand leading over to…

"Where's Lucy?" Edmund asked.

Karen ran over to James who was still asleep. She shook him awake.

"James, where's Lucy?"

"What do you mean wh-Lucy?"

He sat up quickly and felt the spot beside him. He looked over and saw the footprints. He jumped up and grabbed his dagger.

"I didn't hear or feel anything. What could make those kind of footprints?"

James was suddenly grabbed by his collar. Edmund glared at the younger boy.

"You're supposed to take care of her! You love her don't you?"

Karen and Caspian tried to pry the two apart.

"Edmund, stop it!" Karen scolded.

The two boys scowled at each other.

"You think if I'd have known she was being taken I'd just let it happen? It's not my fault! We just need to look for her. NOW!"

Edmund pushed James away from him and ran back to grab his sword and armor. James gave Karen a look that showed his annoyance at her significant other. Karen sighed as the rest of the crew began waking up and headed off, deeper into the island. It wasn't hard to follow footprints that were humongous. They eventually reached a garden with bushes they were trimmed into strange and creative shapes. They scoured the garden until Edmund found Lucy's dagger.

"That means she has to be around here, somewhere," James stated.

Everyone looked around, but nothing could be seen. Suddenly, spears were shot at them from nowhere. One almost got Karen, but she dodged. Edmund stood in front of her, facing the direction the spears had come from.

"Stop right there or I'll kill ye."

Everyone had their swords out and ready, but they were suddenly getting knocked out of people's hands. The force was unseen. Whatever it was knocking everyone to the ground along with all the royalty, except Karen. She ran over to Edmund and her brother and knelt beside them, helping them up. Their swords were being picked up and pointed back at them.

"What sort of creatures are you?" Caspian demanded, looking around at the seemingly empty air.

"Big ones, with the head of a tiger and the body of a…uhm…different tiger."

"Yeah!"

"You don't want to mess with us!"

"Or what?" demanded Edmund.

"Or…we'll claw you to death!"

Suddenly, figures began appearing. Everyone looked around at each other at the sight. Little men with pudgy bellies and one huge foot were surrounding the crew. Each of the little men were being held up by one or two others or were doing the holding. They didn't appear to notice that they were visible.

"I'll run my claws right through you!"

"I'll gnash you with my teeth!"

"I'll bite you with my fangs!"

Edmund smirked.

"You mean…squash us with your fat bellies."

The little men looked around in confusion at each other and themselves.

"Tickle us with your toes?" Caspian suggested, catching Edmund's eye.

The oldest looking creature with a long beard fell as the two holding him up fell over. James stepped over to them, having retrieved his dagger.

"Where is Lucy? What have you done with her?"

Many of the crew had picked up their swords and were now pointing them at the elder creatures.

"Now…calm down."

"Where is she?" Edmund demanded.

"In the mansion."

"What mansion?"

The elder's eyes glanced to his left, making them all look over. A mansion suddenly materialized out of thin air.

"Oh…that mansion," Edmund said.

Suddenly, Eustace came stomping in from behind them.

"You know, I'm really getting tired of you all leaving me behind!"

He stopped as he looked at the scene before him.

"This place just gets weirder and weirder."

Karen gave a small laugh before looking back at the mansion. Lucy and a man came walking out of the mansion toward them all. The little creatures began hopping away saying "The Oppressor! It's the Oppressor!".

"Lucy!" James said, running over to her and pulling her into his arms.

She hugged him happily. The man with her bowed to them. Everyone sheathed their swords.

"Your Majesties."

"Caspian, Edmund, James, and Karen," Lucy introduced as James let her go," This is Coriakin. It's his island."

"That's what he thinks!" said the elder creature," You have wronged us, Magician!"

"I have not wronged you," Coriakin replied, walking toward them," I made you invisible for your own protection."

The creatures began rapidly hopping away from him.

"Protection? That's oppression, you know!"

"I have not oppressed you."

"Well, you could have, if you wanted to!"

"Begone!"

He threw bits of white stuff at the creatures and the screamed and disappeared into the bushes as an escape from his "magic". Coriakin turned and began walking back toward the royalty.

"What was that?" Lucy asked.

"Lint, but don't tell them!"

"What were those things?" Eustace asked, watching them leave.

"Dufflepods."

"Right, of course. Silly me."

Karen grinned and Eustace apparently noticed. She was surprised to see him blush slightly and she could have sworn she saw the ghost of a smile. Turning back to the others, they followed Coriakin who had invited them in. Caspian requested that the crew get back to the ship and prepare for them to head out when they came back.


	24. Seven Deadly Sins

The royals, Eustace, and Captain Drinian all followed the mansions owner. As Coriakin led them into the house, Lucy got curious.

"What did you mean when you said you made them invisible for their own good?"

"It seemed the easiest way to protect them…from the evil."

The entire group following him gave him strange look.

"You mean the mist," Edmund said.

"I mean what lies behind the mist."

They all stepped into a large and beautiful library. Books were floating along on the upper floors for no apparent reason and there were beautiful views of stars and constellations. Coriakin picked up a rolled up piece of paper and threw it out of his hand. It flattened out and became a map of Narnia. The edges of the map showed scenes from the past, one of which was the battle against the White Witch. The map moved to show where they were and the islands popped right off the paper. Clouds floated above the map.

"It's quite beautiful," Eustace commented in amazement.

The others all grinned at him. He noticed and frowned at them all.

"I mean for a make believe map of a make believe world."

The others either shook their head or rolled their eyes at him as Coriakin began to speak.

"Here is the source of your troubles."

The map seemed to travel to an island that was dark and covered in mist. The island had a very intimidating appearance.

"Dark Island; the place where evil lurks. It can take any form; it can make your darkest dreams come true. It seeks to corrupt all goodness; to steal the light from this world."

"How do we stop it?" Lucy asked.

"You must break its spell. That sword you carry," he said, pointing at Edmund," There are six others."

"Have you seen them?" Edmund asked.

"Yes."

"The six Lords," Caspian noted," They passed through here."

"Indeed."

"Where were they headed?"

"Where I sent them. To break the spell, you must follow the blue star to Ramandu's Island. There the seven swords must be laid at Aslan's Table. Only then can their true magical power be released. But beware; you're all about to be tested."

"Tested?" Karen asked.

"Until you lay down the seventh sword, evil has the upper hand. It will do everything in its power to tempt you. Be strong. Don't fall to temptation. To defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness inside yourself."

They all looked around at each other in concern and worry about what was to come until the swords were laid down. They were soon back on their way, but not too long after leaving the island they reached rough waters. For fourteen days it was rough sailing as they went straight into a dangerous storm. The crew was working continually to bucket water off the deck and keep the sails working. Ever male up there was completely drenched and freezing. Drinian was beginning to lose faith in the mission. The male royals gathered in Caspian's study room.

"So, we're stuck here," Drinian said, placing a figurine on the map," at half rations with food and water for two more weeks maximum."

Caspian sat on the couch by the window beside James. Edmund stood off to the side of the table where the map was laid.

"This is your last chance to turn back, Your Majesties. There's no guarantee we'll spot the blue star anytime soon. Not in this storm. Needle in a haystack trying to find this…_Ramandu _place. We could sail past it and off the end of the world."

"Or get eaten by a sea serpent."

Everyone looked at Edmund.

"Not a good time, Ed," James stated.

"I'm just saying the men are getting nervous," Drinian continued," These are strange seas we're sailing, the likes of which I've never seen before."

Caspian stood up.

"Then perhaps, Captain, you would like to be the one to explain to Mister Rhince that we're abandoning the search for his family."

Drinian looked around at all the faces watching him before putting his cloak back on to head onto the deck.

"I'll get back to it. Just a word of warning; the sea can play nasty tricks on the crew's mind. Very nasty."

With that he left them to their thoughts. Edmund and James stayed in the room to look over the map some more as Caspian made his way to go up to the deck and help if he could. On his way, he stopped and noticed Karen reading in their sleeping room by the window. He went over and looked at the cover of the book.

"Narnian Fairytales?" he grinned.

Karen closed the book and smiled at the young King.

"I was curious about these fairytales that have come about now. I find that many of these "fairytales" existed back in the time that we were the Kings and Queens of Narnia."

Caspian sat down beside her.

"Is that so?"

The two sat silent for a moment, listening to the churning waves and thunder coming from the other side of the boat's wall.

"Horrible storm," Karen noted.

"Indeed."

Karen swept her hair back over her shoulder as it had fallen in front of her as she read. Suddenly, Caspian grasped her face and leaned in close to her. He had almost kissed her before Karen pushed back his shoulders. He instantly let go.

"What are you doing, Caspian?"

The King stared at her in slight shock before looking away and standing up.

"I'm…I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

He began to leave the room quickly, but Karen stopped him.

"Coriakin…he warned us. I know you don't have feelings for me, but don't fall into the temptations, Caspian. You're stronger than that. You don't have feelings for me, I know that. And you know you're like a brother to me."

Caspian looked back at her and smiled at her.

"Something about the women of the Crest Family. Something is always trying to make me seem like I'm interested romantically when I really do so you and your sister as very good friends. You're like a sister to me as well, Karen. I'm sorry that I let temptation grip me so."

She nodded her forgiveness to him as he left.

During the night after everyone had gone to bed, James kept waking up due to his stomach feeling empty after having strange dreams about food. One time upon waking up, he found up Lucy had gotten out of bed and was burning a crumpled piece of paper in the fireplace.

"Lu?" he asked from his sleeping place on the couch beside the window.

She jumped and turned to him. She looked shaken.

"Everything alright?"

Lucy went over and sat beside him, letting him wrap his arms around her.

"I was tempted…and I failed."

James frowned down at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I found a spell in Coriakin's spellbook. The one that I used to recite the spell to make the Unseen seen. I tore out the page because it said it could turn me into the beauty that I always wanted to be. I wanted to be pretty, just like Susan. But…it was horrible. I was happy seeing that I looked like Susan, but then…I wasn't there myself. Lucy didn't exist anymore. Aslan pulled me out of that nightmare. He reminded me that it was the two of us who found Narnia and without me…you'd be alone."

James pet Lucy's hair as she clung on to him. He leaned his head against the top of hers.

"Lucy, you shouldn't want to be like Susan. I think that you're beautiful. Honestly, I never considered any other girl…woman…as beautiful as you. Not even Susan. I'm not going to lie and say your sister isn't pretty, but in my eyes you're number one. I value _you_, Lu. I love you and only you for who you are and everything you are."

The young girl lifted her head up and smiled at James. She kissed him softly.

"Thank you."

The two of them got up as a loud clap of thunder sounded from outside the ship. James put a hand on his stomach.

"I'm suddenly _really _hungry, but I know that we're on such low rations that it would be terrible if I ate more. I think we should talk to Karen and Edmund."

The two of them left the room hand in hand and headed to the room where the others were sleeping. Before the two got there, they had no idea what was going on in that room. Caspian was having a restless sleep about his father, causing him to talk in his sleep. Edmund lay awake and stared into space with his hands crossed as Karen lay cuddled close to him in their hammock. The poor girl woke up the sound of metal being pulled out of a sheath and opened her eyes to find a sword above her face. She looked over at Edmund in alarm to find him staring at a space on the other side of Caspian's hammock in fear and shock.

"Edmund?"

Her voice and Lucy's had spoken at the same time. The frightened youth looked between his sister, James, and Karen before sheathing his sword. Caspian was startled awake as a thunderclap sounded.

"We can't sleep," Lucy informed them.

"Let me guess," Edmund said, looking around at everyone," Bad dreams. So, either we're all going mad or something's playing with our minds."

He lay back down and Karen rested her head on his chest, patting it with her hand to comfort him. Other than that, Karen didn't feel like doing anything at all and just wanted to go back to sleep. She yawned and curled up against Edmund and was fast asleep. The others tried to go back to bed, but didn't get even close to the amount of sleep Karen did.


	25. Tempting Fight

"Karen, wake up, you've slept for an unnaturally long time."

Edmund shook her shoulder, trying his best to wake her. Karen had slept past noon, missing breakfast, and didn't seem close to getting up without a push. She groaned as her slumber was disturbed.

"Whaaat? I'm tired."

"We've anchored neard an island. I don't want to just leave you here while we go. I'm worried about how much you're sleeping."

Karen sat up and stared at Edmund. Her body felt extremely heavy.

"But I don't want to do anything. I'm tired."

Edmund put a hand to her forehead.

"You're not ill are you?"

Karen shook her head and lay back down. Edmund shook her again.

"Ed!"

"You're just being _lazy_. Come on."

That word seemed to send a shock through her body. She suddenly felt awake as she sat up quickly. Edmund stared at her in alarm.

"Wha-?"

"I can't believe I slept that long. So…what is this island like?"

Edmund was confused as she dashed around and started changing her clothes to scout out the island. He blushed and put a hand over his face and waited. When he heard the sound of metal, he dared look and saw her grabbing her sword. She grabbed him as well on her way out.

"What was with the sudden change in attitude?"

"I figured out that I _was _being lazy and that is no good at all."

They reached the deck and climbed into the boats with the rest of those who were scouting the island for food and water or the Lords. That was at least Caspian's goal.

"I doubt the Lords stopped here, My Lord," Reepicheep told Caspian," There's no sign of anything living."

"Right, well, once we get ashore take all your men and search for food and water. The five of us will look for clues."

Eustace's attention fell on the King.

"Hang on, you mean the six of us."

Everyone in the boat turned to look at him with a skeptical look.

"Oh, come on, please don't send me back to the rat," he complained, looking over at Karen for sympathy.

She shrugged and glanced at Edmund who was still watching his cousin.

"I heard that," Reepicheep answered.

"Big ears," Eustace muttered.

"I heard that, too."

The royals and crew members all smirked in amusement. Once they'd reached the island, it was decided that Eustace was definitely staying with Reepicheep and the others. They royals then made their way deeper into the island. They had searched for about three minutes when they came upon a hole in the ground with a rope leading downwards.

"Look, we're not the first ones on this island," Caspian pointed out, looking down into the hole.

"The Lords?" Edmund asked.

"Could be…"

They all crowded around the hole to see that it lead down into a cavern of some sort. Caspian threw a rock in and they listened as it bounced down into the hole for a ways before hitting the bottom.

"What do you think could be down there?" James asked.

"Let's find out," Edmund responded, grabbing the rope and heading down.

Caspian followed, then the girls, then James. They looked around the cavern and found the most interesting thing to be a small body of water. There was a statue of a man made out of solid gold in the water. They all looked at it. It didn't seem to fit with the empty cavern.

"How could that have gotten here?" James asked, looking around to see no opening wide enough in the ceiling near the water.

Edmund pulled a branch off of a vine growing along the wall and stuck it into the water to try and reach the statue. He'd only just stuck the end in the water when the branch began to turn gold. Before the gold reached his hands, Edmund yelped and dropped the whole branch into the water. The others all stared at him in shock.

"That looked heavy," Karen commented, going over to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"That's because it was."

Caspian moved over to the water's edge, understanding. He knelt and examined the statue.

"He must have fallen in."

"Poor man," Lucy commented, coming closer.

"You mean, "Poor Lord"," Edmund said, noticing a solid gold shield lying halfway into the water nearby.

"The crest of Lord Restimar," Caspian noted, spotting the shield as well.

"And his sword."

Everyone spotted the Lord's sword. It lay in the water near the shield.

"We need it," Caspian commented.

Edmund unsheathed his sword and stuck it into the water. Hooking the blade into a space on the hilt, he lifted it out of the water and gave it to Caspian.

"Your sword hasn't turned to gold," Lucy commented.

"Both the swords are magical," James reminded her.

Lucy looked back at the statue.

"He mustn't have known what hit him."

Edmund put down his sword and went over to the edge of the pool.

"Maybe…or maybe he was onto something."

"What are you talking about?" Caspian asked.

Reaching down, the young man picked up a shell on near him and dipped it into the water. He placed it on the ground as it turned to solid gold. Edmund picked it back up and looked at it with hungry eyes. Greedy eyes.

"What are you staring it?" Lucy asked her brother, who was completely entranced by the gold shell.

"Whoever has access to this pool could be the most powerful person in the world."

James looked at Karen with concerned eyes. Karen stared at Edmund, not liking the sound of where this was going. Edmund looked around at Lucy and Karen.

"We'd be so rich. No one could tell us what to do or who to live with."

"Edmund, it's not right," Karen softly responded.

"You can't take anything out of Narnia, Edmund," Caspian said, stepping up beside Karen.

"Says who?"

"I do."

The three listening looked between the two young men in alarm. Edmund looked at Caspian.

"Wait just a-" Karen started, but was stopped by Edmund grabbing his sword and moving toward Caspian.

"I'm not your subject."

"You've been waiting for this haven't you? To challenge me. You doubt my leadership!"

Karen and James moved back toward Lucy, getting out of the way of the two holding swords out at their sides.

"You doubt yourself!"

"You're a child!"

"And you're a spineless sap!"

"Edmund!" Karen butt in, grabbing his shoulder, but he shook her off.

"Don't even get me started on _you_. Don't think I didn't see the two of you the other night! You've had eyes for _him_ this whole time. You don't care about me!"

"That's not-"

"I'm tired of playing second fiddle. First it was Peter and now it's you. You know I'm braver than both of you. Why do _you _get Peter's sword? I _deserve_ a kingdom of my own. I deserve to _rule_."

Caspian and Edmund glared each other down.

"If you think you're so brave, prove it," the King responded, pushing Edmund.

"No!" Karen and Lucy both shouted as the two began to fight.

The two girls jumped between the two of them; Lucy facing Caspian and Karen facing Edmund. James stood off to the side completely alarmed by the whole ideal. The youngest male was not a confrontational type of person and was a bit put out at the fighting that was taking place.

"Stop! Stop it!" Karen screamed, "Both of you."

"Look at yourselves. Can't you see what's happening?" Lucy added," This place has tempted you. It's bewitching you. This is exactly what Coriakin was talking about. Let's just get out of here."

Lucy took Karen's hand and James's hand and led them back to where the rope was. Karen looked back at Edmund but neither he nor Caspian were looking at them. The two only watched each other until Caspian turned and followed. Edmund hesitated before tossing the shell into the water and following them out of the hole. Reaching the shore again, they saw very few baskets of food even though they had been gone for quite awhile.

"What food did you find?" Caspian asked Rhince.

"It's volcanic, Your Majesty. Not much grows."

Lucy glanced around and frowned. Karen put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"Lu?"

"Where's Eustace?"

"I believe he's out _not _helping us load the boats," Reepicheep responded.

That statement made the others sigh. The two girls called out his name a couple times before Lucy turned to Edmund.

"Edmund, I've got a bad feeling."

"I'm worried as well," Karen added, looking at him.

"I'll go find him," Edmund said, obviously annoyed by his younger cousin.

"I'll go with you," Caspian volunteered.

"I as well," James added.

He turned to Lucy and his sister as Caspian handed Lucy the newly found sword and went after Edmund.

"Got to keep them from ripping each other to shreds," he muttered, before running after them.

The girls watched them go. Lucy looked up at Karen. The teenage girl looked distraught.

"You didn't actually..?"

Karen looked down at Lucy and shook her head.

"Caspian was tempted…but I pushed him away. Let's go back to the ship."

She left Lucy standing by herself. Karen helped load the last of the baskets on the boats and hopped in. Lucy followed reluctantly and sat beside the other girl.

"Do you think Eustace is okay?"

Karen looked back at the island and watched smoke rise up from random spots on the island.

"I hope so, but my gut is telling me something is wrong."

"I was afraid of that…"


	26. Cursed Treasure

The three young men walked around the island, just calling out Eustace's name. They'd been walking for minutes and minutes without any reply from the young boy.

"Where the heck can he go on a deserted island?" James asked, almost slipping on gravel, but catching himself," It's all rock."

Caspian walked closer to Edmund.

"You know…what you saw between me and Karen isn't what you think. Yes, I tried to kiss her, but I don't know why the temptation came over me. She and I are just friends and she truly loves you, Edmund. She pushed me away because she loves you."

Edmund looked at Caspian a moment before going back to calling for Eustace. Both Caspian and James sighed. At that moment they all noticed a ravine off to their right and they all stared in surprise. It was filled with gold that was glistening in the sun.

"Treasure," Edmund said.

"Trouble," was Caspian's response.

James watched as the two looked at each other, hoping gold wouldn't rekindle their argument. Luckily, they looked back. That was when Edmund spotted something. The three looked at each other and headed down into the ravine. Once down there, Edmund picked up a burned leather shoe.

"It can't be…" James said, moving over to look at the shoe.

"Eustace."

Edmund stared at the shoe, distress evident on his face. Walking a little ways away from the shoe, they found Eustace's clothes all empty and burnt. His shirt was still steaming. Even Eustace's diary lay there, singed at the edges.

"Our cousin," Edmund sighed, quietly.

"We're sorry," Caspian said.

"He was just a boy. I never should have left him. What could have happened to him?"

James and Caspian looked around to see if they could find Eustace, but both of their eyes fell on a skeleton not far from them.

"In this place, anything," Caspian answered, getting up and walking over to it.

James followed as Edmund looked over.

"And he wasn't the first," Caspian continued," It's Lord Octesian. We should find his-"

James picked up a sword lying nearby and pulled it out of its sheath to find it was the Lord's.

"-sword."

The three sullenly began their walk back to the beach. They were almost to the boats when Caspian and James heard a strange flapping sound. They both turned and ducked in time as a dragon flew past them.

"Edmund!" They both shouted just as Edmund was grabbed by the golden scaled dragon and lifted off into the air.

The dragon flew by the boat and then took off back to the island. James and Caspian could her shouts from the ship as a few crew members and the girls were getting into a boat to come back to the island and look for Edmund. They were halfway to the island when the dragon reappeared. James took out his dagger and Caspian readied his sword, but as the dragon set down, Edmund was let go and he told them to stop. Though the two males were confused, they waited as the others got there and Edmund told them the same thing.

"It's Eustace," he informed them all.

Everyone crowded around Eustace as he tried to pull a gold armlet off his arm as it was digging into his scales. It was apparently pretty painful.

"He must have been tempted by the treasure," Edmund told everyone.

"Well, anyone knows a dragon's treasure is enchanted," Caspian spoke up.

Eustace glared at him.

"Well, anyone…from _here_."

Karen went over and pulled the armlet off of his arm. It hurt Eustace a bit, causing him to yelp and back away from her a bit. Lucy and Karen smiled at that.

"Is there any way to change him back?" Edmund asked Caspian.

"Not that I know of."

He looked at Drinian who had no response. Edmund looked at his dragon cousin.

"Aunt Alberta will not be pleased."

Eustace grunted, annoyed. The royal males had been told about Eustace trying to go to the ship and make people understand, but everyone had tried to attack him and Reepicheep had stuck Eustace's hand with his blade. The now sheepish mouse knight stepped toward the enormous dragon.

"Sorry about the hand, Old Boy, I can be a little over zealous at times."

Eustace sighed sadly as Tavros called to them.

"The boast are ready, Sire!"

Lucy looked around at everyone.

"We can't leave him alone."

"Well, we can't bring him on board, Your Majesty," responded Drinian.

Caspian handed his sword to the Captain.

"Drinian, you and your men take one boat back. The rest of us will stay here till morning and…work out what to do."

"But you've no provisions," Rhince pointed out," and no means of staying warm, Your Majesty."

Caspian looked at him trying to think of what to do. Eustace suddenly let out a blast of fire, lightly a stick lying on the ground nearby. Reepicheep grinned.

"Uh, you were saying?"

Everyone laughed as Eustace appeared to taste the flames he had just let out. Karen gave the big guy a pat on the nose.

"Nice."

After the royals, Reepicheep, Rhince, and Gail had all set places to sleep for the night, everyone sat around on their blankets doing whatever they chose. Eustace and Reepicheep appeared to be trying to sleep while Rhince actually fell asleep. Edmund, Caspian, and James were looking up at the sky and talking. Meanwhile, Lucy sat by Karen as the older girl looked out at the sea.

"I'm glad James is having male bonding time with Edmund and Caspian," Lucy said as a conversation starter.

Karen looked over at them, her eyes obviously resting only on Edmund.

"Yeah…I guess he needs that, huh? Living in a time of war hurts everyone somehow. Kenneth never really connected with James for some reason. James is compassionate and Kenneth is more…calculating…logical…what have you."

Lucy nodded her understanding. It was obvious to her how lonely Karen was without Edmund. Anytime Karen was upset, she held herself in a certain way when she sat. She'd wrap her arms close to her body…just like she was trying not to fall apart. It was a clear sign of sadness from her that members of the Crest and Pevensie families knew well. Lucy placed a hand on Karen's shoulder.

"You know Edmund can be stubborn, but he loves you. He'll figure out he was wrong. I bet he's regretting it right now."

"Believe me, he is."

The two girls looked over to see James smiling at them. Lucy got up and went with James over to their sleeping place near Gail. Karen watched them go before turning back to the water. The ship could barely be seen. It was just a bump in the darkness. Footsteps shuffled the gravelly beach as someone came over and sat beside Karen. She didn't need to look to know who it was. The presence was familiar, as were the footprints, the side of the arm that pressed lightly against her, as well as the sigh that was breathed at her decision not to look at him.

"Karen, I…I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier. I guess I didn't…I mean I definitely didn't understand what I saw. Caspian told me what actually happened. And I trust that the two of you wouldn't lie to me about this."

"You didn't trust me before. I don't understand why you didn't ask me what happened right then and there. I thought we could talk about everything…anything…Why would you-?"

"I was afraid of the answer."

Karen turned to look at Edmund. He was making shapes in the sand and gravel with a stick he had picked up.

"I've always felt like second place. Peter was always the leader, even when he wasn't ruling Narnia. Then we come back and Caspian is in charge and…frankly I'm older than him but not. It's extremely confusing and I feel like I'm always being looked at as if I were a child. It hurts always being second. And Karen, you're…you're _beautiful_. You don't even know how much. You don't even have to try! I see the way men look at you back home and even here I've noticed men watching you, even Caspian and Eustace and I feel jealous and afraid that you might chose someone else; especially Caspian. He's King, he's a leader, and he has goals. Why wouldn't you like him? He's probably better looking than me as well!"

He stopped to breathe a bit. Karen watched his shoulders sag after letting it all out. She took her knees away from her chest and leaned her body in Edmund's direction and lifted his face to look at her.

"You've never been second place to me. Always, _always_ first. Then…and now, no matter who I know or meet, I'm your everlasting support…and partner. I will always love _you_, Edmund Pevensie."

Edmund smiled and brushed a small tear from the side of his eye before pulling Karen into an extremely passionate kiss. He lay back on the blanket underneath them and pulled Karen on top of him without breaking the kiss.

"I really needed to hear that," he told her, running a hand through her hair.

Karen smiled and kissed him again.

"This doesn't mean you're forgiven, Ed."

"Way to kill a moment, Karen."

The two smiled and held each other close for the rest of the night.


	27. Caspian's Future Wife

In the morning, everyone woke up to Lucy shouting.

"Everybody, look! It's the blue star! Look!"

They all quickly packed up their stuff and got back on the ship and set sail, Eustace flying along beside it with Reepicheep riding on his head. It seemed like everything was finally about to turn around, but things got harder for the crew. The wind died down so that the crew members had to physically row the ship along. Drinian wasn't very happy about it. Karen, Caspian, and Edmund listened as the Captain pointed out that something did not want them to reach Ramandu's Island.

"Now what do we do?" Karen sighed, leaning on the railing between the two boys. They both looked at her, but didn't have an answer.

The crew was getting hungry and restless. Some of the crew even threatened to eat Eustace. When Karen heard that, she laughed.

"I don't imagine he'd taste very good. Maybe a bit sour."

Drinian came up the stairs toward the wheel where they were.

"If we don't find land by tonight, they _may _bloody well eat that dragon."

Suddenly, the ship was roughly jostled, knocking everyone on board off their feet. As Drinian and Caspian hit the deck, Edmund grabbed a rope on the side of the ship and grabbed Karen as well so they wouldn't fall. The men were quickly back on their feet and dashing to the edge of the boat.

"What did we hit?" Caspian asked.

Edmund was the first one to notice the cause.

"Eustace! That's brilliant!"

Eustace had taken it upon himself, possibly so he wouldn't be eaten, to wrap his tail around the front of the ship and pull it along as he flew. Karen and the crew cheered for his great idea. Now that that problem had been solved, the three royals went down to Caspian's study. Edmund and Karen went out to the back where there was a balcony. They stood watching the water and sky.

"We can't be sure the other Lords even made it to Ramandu's Island."

Karen went into the room and stood beside Caspian as he sat at his desk looking at the three swords they had.

"They did. Have faith in that."

Caspian looked up at her and smiled, gratefully. It took three more hours for them to reach the island. During those three hours, James and Lucy spend time with Gail while Caspian kept people away from where he, Edmund, and Karen slept since the couple were having some private time; the kind that he assumed they'd want no one to walk in on. It was almost nighttime when they reached and sailed over to the island. Eustace was taking a big breather on the beach of the island after pulling the heavy ship for so long. The royalty and crew members all made their way to the middle of the island. Edmund led the party with his flashlight lighting their way. They eventually reached a large tree with a split in the bottom. They walked through and came upon a long table with delicious looking food piled high. For the party it was a very tempting spread since they group had been eating very little for the past few weeks. Tavros stopped and admired the table.

"Mmm, food."

"Wait," Drinian commanded him, wary of the food before them.

Edmund used his flashlight to examine everything in the light. Reaching the end of the table farthest from the group he started, causing the others to look that way and gasp themselves. Many pulled out swords in alarm. Three men sat unmoving in chairs at the end of the table. Tree vines appeared to have grown around them in the span of time they had been there. Edmund and Caspian hesitantly moved forward to examine the men more closely. Caspian pointed his sword at a ring on one of the men's fingers. Looking at the other men's fingers, he identified their rings.

"Lord Revilian, Lord Mavramorn, Lord Argoz."

Lucy moved back the hair that had grown and fallen into one of the Lord's faces. She retracted her hand in shock as he let out a sound. She moved back toward James who put a comforting hand around her shoulders.

"He's breathing," Caspian commented with surprise.

"So are they," James added, nodding toward the other two.

Edmund looked at the three.

"They're under a spell."

Caspian examined the table and stood up straight with a sudden thought.

"It's the food!"

Those of the crew who had grabbed some food instantly dropped it in fear. Those who had already taken a bite looked as if they were going to be sick. Edmund, who had still been examining the table, caught their attention.

"Look! It's the stone knife! This is Aslan's table."

"Their swords!"

Caspian pushed vines apart till he grabbed a sword from the waist of one of the Lord's. Edmund and Karen grabbed the other two swords.

"On the table," Caspian told them and they placed them there.

They added the swords they already had in their possession to the pile. They looked at the incomplete group of swords.

"That's six," Edmund said, looking at the others.

"Still missing one," Caspian sighed.

Suddenly, a blue light shone from the assembled swords and the blue star moved down from the sky and into their midst. Everyone watched the star's descent in awe. Once on the ground it changed shape and became the form of a beautiful blonde young woman in a flattering bluish white dress. The crew members bowed in her presence.

"Travelers of Narnia, arise."

She waited till each of them was standing tall once again before continuing on.

"Are you not hungry?"

"Who are you?" Edmund asked.

Karen raised an eyebrow at him. The look on his face did not sit well with her. Lucy noticed the same problem with James. Neither girl was quite so concerned with the expression gracing Caspian's face.

"I'm Lilliandil, Daughter of Ramandu. I am your guide."

She smiled around at them all. The Kings and Queens moved forward less worried now.

"You're a star?" Caspian asked.

She nodded. She looked at Caspian, seeming to become somewhat shy in his presence. Karen let out a soft giggle to herself at the look the two were sharing.

"You are most beautiful," he continued.

Lilliandil suddenly seemed concerned.

"If it is a distraction for you, I can change form."

"No!"

Edmund, Caspian, and James all looked around at each other as they had all spoken in unison. Lucy rolled her eyes and shook her head while Karen gave Edmund a swift kick to the shin which seemed to wake him up.

"Really? After this afternoon…really?" she mumbled to herself.

Edmund looked guiltily at the ground and did not look straight at Lilliandil again.

"Please," the star addressed the crew members," the food is for you. There is enough for all who are welcome at Aslan's table. Always. Help yourselves."

The crew didn't need much prodding before making their way to the table. Edmund suddenly seemed to remember the Lords.

"Wait! What about them?"

"These poor men were half mad by the time they reached our shores. They were threatening violence upon each other. Violence is forbidden at the table of Aslan. So they were sent to sleep."

"Will they ever wake?" Lucy asked.

"When all is put right. Come, there is little time."

She turned and began walking off. Caspian, Lucy, James, and Karen followed. Karen grabbed Edmund's arm to lead him that way.

"I forgive you this time," she grinned up at his as he looked at her.

He smiled at her and lifted his head so he could walk on his own. The men began eating as they walked away. Drinian didn't, but he watched his crew members eat their fill. Lilliandil lead them to what looked like a broken lookout tower. Once there she spoke to them again.

"The magician Coriakin told you of Dark Island?"

"Yes," Caspian replied.

Looking out at the ocean, they could see a sinister island out at sea. It was covered with what appeared to be dark trees and green glowed through the gaps of these trees. The island was shrouded in fog. Caspian and Lilliandil continued their conversation.

"Before long the evil will be unstoppable."

"Coriakin said to break its spell we lay the seven swords at Aslan's table."

"He speaks the truth."

"But we only found six," James commented," Do you know where the seventh is?"

Lilliandil looked at him with worry before pointing at Dark Island.

"In there. You will need great courage. Now waste no time."

Caspian looked at her with soft eyes.

"I hope we meet again."

She smiled and seemed to blush.

"Good-bye."

She then transformed into a star once again and disappeared. Lucy and Karen smirked at Caspian.

"Oooh! Caspian has found his future wife!" Karen teased.

He grinned and pointed a finger at her.

"As long as I've got a say in it…yes, yes I have."

The girls tweeted happily at his comment, making Edmund and James just roll their eyes as the group made their way back to the crew to tell them that they would be heading into the nest of danger itself. Everyone tried to keep as upbeat as possible and not think about the fact that they would be sailing into doom.


	28. The Last Fight

It didn't take long before they were all back on the ship and just moments away from sailing straight into Dark Island. Everyone was on the deck, staring at the island as it loomed before them. Everyone was worried and everyone was afraid they would die somehow. Tavros looked visibly worried.

"What do you think is in there?" he asked.

"Our worst nightmares," Edmund replied.

"Our darkest wishes," Caspian added.

"Pure evil," Captain Drinian suggested.

Karen looked around at them.

"Nice to know that you boys are optimistic about our outlook. I'm going to try and think cheery thoughts, if you all don't mind."

Drinian moved over to the Minotaur, ignoring Karen's comment.

"Tavros, unlock the armory."

Tavros shouted for the archers to get ready. Caspian looked over at the others and nodded at them.

"Let's get ready."

Going down below, Lucy and Karen, followed by Gail, went down below and strapped on their weapons. James, Edmund, and Caspian changed in Caspian's room. Gail watched the girl's get ready. As they were finishing, Gail looked at Lucy.

"When I grow up, I want to be just like you."

Lucy looked at the girl from the mirror she had been checking herself in. She then moved over and sat beside the girl as Karen leaned against the wall, watching with a grin on her face.

"When you grow up," Lucy told her, "you should be just like you."

She hugged the girl. Karen, who had been watching Lucy look up to the older girls, especially Susan, for a couple of years now, was happy to see that Lucy had learned that she just needed to be herself. She was also glad that Gail didn't look up to her. She knew there was way too much of _her_ than most people could handle. She slipped out of the room and was heading up to the deck when she met up with James. He smiled at her.

"Sentimental moments are getting to be too much for me," James told her, jerking his head toward Caspian's room," Caspian just gave Edmund Peter's sword to use. Pretty nice of him."

Karen laughed and the two went up the stairs to the deck.

"James."

He turned and looked at his older sister, who looked very concerned.

"Everything is going to be okay, right?"

It wasn't normal for Karen to worry about things openly, so James knew she was stressing herself out on the inside. He went over and pulled her into a hug.

"We're going to take down anything that gets in or way. The evil will be defeated and the green mist will be gone. I'm sure of it."

Karen sighed with relief. The two let go as the others all made it up to the deck. Caspian stood up in front of the ready crew to make his battle speech.

"No matter what happens here, every soul who stands before me has earned their place on the crew of the Dawn Treader. Together, we have traveled far. Together, we have faced adversity. Together, we can do it again. So now is not the time to fall to fears or temptations. Be strong! Never give in! Our world, our Narnian lives, depend on it. Think of the lost souls we're here to save. Think of Aslan. Think of Narnia."

With that, he made his way down the stairs, but stopped as a cheer came out from the whole crew.

"For Narnia!"

It was a hopeful cheer and boosted everyone's hopes. On that note, they sailed straight into the island. It was almost impossible to see anything. The lights on the ship only penetrated the darkness close to the ship. Dark, jagged rocks pointed upwards from the water threateningly. As they sailed, green mist floated into their mists, going around them. Many of the crew members looked around worried. Some seemed to see things that were not there. The green mist seemed to whisper and see what was in people's hearts. Karen looked over at Edmund who stood near here.

"No. Go away," he said, staring around as something seemed to move around him," NO!"

"Edmund."

Not only Karen, but Lucy and James as well were watching him with concern after his shout.

"Are you alright?" Lucy asked, looking at him strangely.

"Yeah."

He looked utterly spooked as Karen gave his cheek a gentle pat of comfort. Suddenly, there was a shout from not too far away. Everyone moved off to the right side of the ship to try and spot what was making the sound. When they had gotten closer to the source, words became discernable.

"Keep away! Keep away!"

Edmund shouted out toward who or whatever it was.

"Who's there?"

"We do not fear you!" Caspian shouted.

"What are you?" the voice asked.

Edmund went over to his bag and pulled out his flashlight. He shined the light out toward where the voice came from. It eventually found a huge rock with a man standing on it. His clothes were naught but dark rags and his grayed hair and beard were exceptionally long. He had a slight slouch and shook as he spoke and moved. He was holding a sword aloft in his hands.

"Keep away!" he continued shouting.

"We will not leave," Caspian said, as they were close enough not to yell.

"You will not defeat me!"

"Caspian," Edmund said, continuing to shower the man in light," Caspian, his sword!"

Lucy and Karen exchanged a glance. It was the last sword they needed. The man had to be the last Lord.

"Lord Rhoop!" Caspian stated in surprise, dashing down to the deck.

"You do not own me!" Lord Rhoop shouted, still fearful.

"Stand down, let's get him on board," Caspian commanded," Quickly."

As the crew got ready to throw a net, Eustace flew in from nowhere and grabbed Lord Rhoop in his claws. He flew the man over and dumped him on the ship's deck. He instantly jumped up, ready to use his sword.

"Be calm, my Lord," Caspian said, as the crew backed away from the man.

"Get off me, demons!"

"No, my Lord, we are not here to hurt you. I am your King, Caspian."

Lord Rhoop froze and turned his head to look at Caspian.

"Caspian?" he muttered to himself.

He put a hand on the King's shoulder.

"My Lord! You should not have come," he informed them, standing up straighter," There's no way out of here. Quickly, turn this ship about before it's too late."

"We have the sword. Let's go," James told Caspian.

"Let's turn her about, Drinian," Caspian demanded, turning to the Captain.

"Aye, aye, your Majesty!"

"Do not think!"

Caspian turned around as Lord Rhoop gave that warning.

"Do not let it know your fears or it will become them!"

Edmund suddenly close his eyes with a gasp. Karen, Lucy, and James turned to him.

"Oh, no…"

"Edmund," Lucy asked, worriedly," What did you just think of?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," he replied, running over to the side of the ship. The ship suddenly rocked heavily, knocking everyone to the floor. Everyone scurried to their feet to man their positions. James pulled Karen up as Edmund did the same for his sister.

Caspian shouted as he looked over the side of the boat.

"Everyone, look! What is that?"

A huge snake-like body part had surfaced above the water before going back down. Karen turned to look at Edmund with wide eyes.

"You didn't…"

He looked at her and the others apologetically.

"We're too late. It's too late!" Lord Rhoop shouted.

Gail moved away from the side of the ship in fear. She had moved to the other side of the ship where she sat cowering against the rail. Lucy turned just as the head of the sea serpent showed itself.

"Gail!" Lucy screamed.

It was stories high and was a dark, ugly green color. It had a circular mouth with a ridiculous amount of teeth. Lucy ran over and grabbed Gail.

"Over here. Come on," she said, dragging the girl toward the rest of the crew.

Everyone was preparing to fight as Eustace swooped out of the darkness and attacked the sea serpent with Reepicheep still riding on his head. With a blast of fire and a scrape of his claws, Eustace knocked the serpent sideways. Grabbing the head, Eustace hung on for dear life as the serpent thrashed around trying to get rid of what was covering its face. The two rammed into the ship, breaking a couple lamps and rocking the boat. Reepicheep took an opportunity and stabbed the monster in the head, but was tossed off onto a rope on the ship. The mouse called out to Eustace who was still being flung around in different directions until with a violent swing, he was sent sailing through the air. Recovering, he flew back around the ship, only to get caught in the serpent's mouth as it bit him and dove into the ocean. Coming back up, it slammed Eustace straight into a rock. At that point, the dragon didn't look too good. He was able to lift his head enough to blast the serpent with fire as it tried to strike him while he was down. The monster screamed in pain, its face on fire. It dove into the ocean to quench the fire. As Eustace tried to get up, Lord Rhoop broke through the group of people watching the fight and threw his sword with a shout.

"No! The sword!" Caspian shouted, as it stabbed Eustace right in the shoulder.

"EUSTACE!" Lucy and Karen shouted as he reeled upwards in pain.

"NO! Come back!" Lucy continued as he flew away and out of Dark Island.

"We're doomed. Doomed!" Lord Rhoop was muttering as he went up to the steering wheel and knocked the man steering out of the way," Turn this ship about!"

"Stop him!" James shouted as he grabbed the wheel and turned it.

Everyone was once again knocked over, but this time it was from the crazy man turning the ship roughly. Calmly, Drinian punched Lord Rhoop and let him drop to the ground before taking the wheel into his own hands.

"All crew, to your rowing positions!" he told them," Oars at double speed."

Lucy looked off the side of the ship with sadness. Things didn't look like they were going well, especially since Eustace might actually be dead. Karen looked over and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. They were all hoping for the same thing. That Aslan would somehow help them get through this. The two girls were shocked as they saw a seagull break through the clouds and then fly off away from them. As they tried to sail out, the serpent chased them relentlessly. It was gaining on them as the ship was much too slow compared to the sea serpent. Eventually it caught up and dove over the ship itself, breaking the railing on both sides. It then tried to wrap itself around the ship in an attempt to crush it. Everyone ran for a place the serpent wasn't crushing. Lucy and Karen ran Gail down to Caspian's room and left her down there. Lucy grabbed Susan's bow and arrows on the way.

"Now stay here until someone comes to get you," Lucy told her before the two females dashed back up to the deck.

Caspian moved to the steering wheel and looked straight ahead. Before them was a moderately large rock. He suddenly had an idea.

"Ed, James! We ram the serpent, smash it on the rocks!" he told them, nodding to the rock.

The two boys looked and agreed.

"Steer at the port," Edmund replied to Caspian," I'll keep it on the prow. James, try and make the serpent let go of the ship at the right moment."

Edmund headed straight for the prow as James tried to find a good place to stab the serpent with his sword to make it let go at the right time. Edmund went up to the prow and sat in the wooden dragon's mouth. He took out his flashlight and began shining the light at the serpent to get its attention. It worked.

"Try and kill me, come on!" Edmund said, trying to distract it so that it stayed at the front of the ship," Come one, I'm here!"

The serpent lunged forward and bit the wooden dragon head. He ripped off the top part of the open mouth. Caspian, Karen, James, and Lucy all shouted Edmund's name, for fear that he had been killed. Luckily, Edmund had scurried back through the mouth in time to dodge. He came back out as the wood in the serpents mouth was tossed away. Edmund got out and jumped over the head to get back down to the deck, while still taunting the monster. Lucy took aim with Susan's bow. Aiming extremely well, Lucy sent an arrow straight into the eye of the serpent. He hissed in pain and anger. Just as the serpent was reeling back, Caspian shouted from the port.

"Brace yourselves."

Everyone grabbed something to hold them up except for James, who stabbed the serpent, making it release the ship, and Edmund, who jumped from the prow as the ship rammed the monster against the rock. The serpent released green mist from its wounds and began to glow orange all over its body. The orange was from lines that looked as if the creature was cracking. The serpent's front suddenly split into two and millions of thin, creepy spines came out of its body. They looked like the legs of a centipede, yet the monster was ten times more repulsive. Edmund had been helped up from where he had fallen to the deck by Caspian. The serpent had eyes only for Edmund, who stood in horror watching the serpent.

"Move!" Karen yelled to him as the serpent made to lunge at him.

Caspian tackled Edmund to the deck as the creature lunged. Karen sighed in relief as the two males scrambled to their feet. Caspian spotted a sword lying against the side of the ship. Grabbing it, he sliced one of the spines the creature had on the deck. It disintegrated into green mist. Those watching just stared at the now empty spot.

"We can beat this," Caspian said.

The angry serpent began pulling and chewing on the mast, hoping to break it. They looked up and Edmund began moving.

"We need to get it closer," Edmund said.

"To kill it with…?"

Edmund put a hand on the hilt of Peter's sword.

"We'll distract it," Karen said, turning to Caspian," Hopefully wound it as well."

He nodded and shouted to the crew as the serpent continued its assault on the mast.

"Man the harpoons!"

Edmund leaped onto a rope and swung himself onto the rope ladder that led up to the mast. While he did that, Caspian, James, and many men of the crew threw harpoons at the serpent, which let go of the mast. They all landed on the target and hooked it to the ship.

"Pull its head down!" Caspian shouted over the churning sea.

They all grabbed the ropes and began pulling its head closer to where Edmund would be able to reach it. Once he was up there, the serpent began thrashing more roughly. It was hard to hold it down. James and Karen helped with the rope Caspian was pulling down. Looking up, it seemed as if Edmund were distracted.

"What is he waiting for?" James shouted.

They all began shouting up at him for him to stab it already. Suddenly, the piece of railing that the ropes were connected to broke from the strain of the ropes and knocked most of them to the ground as it hit them. From her spot on the floor of the deck, Karen looked up in time to see Edmund's sword glowing blue.

"What is going on?" she said to herself, as Caspian and James looked up and noticed as well.

Holding his sword up to the serpent, Edmund waited for it to attack him. It instantly did and he stabbed it through the rough of its mouth. Lightening seemed to appear from where he'd stabbed the serpent and the orange cracks appeared once again, but with lightening striking the creature from the dark clouds above. The creature fell back and sunk into the sea, they could only assume it was now only a corpse. Everyone on the deck got up and looked up at the sky. Light was slowly breaking through the clouds.

"The spell! It's lifting," Lucy announced from the port," Edmund, Karen, Caspian, James!"

James, Caspian, and Karen noticed this as well. Edmund looked out as he climbed down to the deck. A ways out, small little boats of people could be seen sailing toward them. The crew began to shout happily.

"Narnians! Narnians!"

There were applause and cheers being shared by everyone. In Karen and Edmund's case, as well as Lucy and James's, kisses were given as well. Afterwards, Lucy went over to Gail who was watching the boats, intently looking for her mother.

"Mummy!" the girl suddenly shouted.

Her father followed, calling out her name. Gail instantly took the chance to jump into the water below and swim toward the boat. Her father followed her happily. Caspian moved around getting the crews attention.

"Let's get them on board," he announced," Clear the decks."

The group of royalty congregated at the edge of the boat, smiling at each other.

"We did it," Lucy announced, smiling round at everyone," I knew we would."

"Wasn't just us though," Edmund grinned.

The others looked at him funny.

"You mean…?"

Suddenly a voice called up to them from the water.

"Hey! Hey, I'm down here! Lucy! Karen! Over here! Over hear!"

Moving to the other side of the boat, they found Eustace smiling and waving at them from the water.

"Eustace!" the girls exclaimed.

"I'm a boy again!" he announced," I'm a boy!"

Karen laughed at him.

"Well, you're definitely not a girl."

Eustace laughed, surprising her, as Reepicheep popped up.

"Eustace!" he cried happily," I see your wings have been clipped."

He jumped into the water and joined his now human friend. The group on the boat all laughed as Reepicheep began singing his song. He stopped singing abruptly upon tasting the water around him.

"It is sweet…It's sweet! Look! Look!"

He turned Eustace around and the others on the boat looked where they were looking. There was a sea of lilies off in the distance, which was quite a sight to see out in the ocean.

"Aslan's country," Caspian said aloud for them all," We must be close."

"Well…we've come this far," Edmund said to them.

"Ready for one last adventure?" Karen smiled, looking around at them.

They all grinned and nodded.


	29. The End

A row boat had been prepared after they had all changed into clean clothes. Caspian and Edmund rowed the boat through the lilies in the water as the others all looked around, unable to wait to see Aslan's country. Reepicheep stood up front in excitement.

"So what was it like? When Aslan changed you back?" James asked Eustace.

"No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't do it myself. Then he came towards me. It sort of hurt, but it was a good pain. You know, like…when you pull a sword from your foot."

Karen laughed and nudged him.

"You **do** have a sense of humor!"

He smiled and continued

"Being a dragon, it wasn't all bad. I mean, I think I was a better dragon than I was a boy, really. I'm so sorry for being such a sot."

"It's okay Eustace, "Edmund said, as they all smiled at him," You **were** a pretty good dragon."

"My friends, we have arrived," Reepicheep told them.

The two rowing turned and everyone watched the island before them. It was a sandy beach mostly. There was also a huge wall of water, apparently hiding more land behind it. The clouds showed a little bit of grassy mountains. Reaching the beach, they all climbed out of the boat. They began walking toward the wall of water, but stopped and watched it. Eustace was the first one to notice Aslan had come up behind them.

"Aslan," he said.

The others turned immediately and saw the huge lion that they were familiar with.

"Welcome, children. You have done well. Very well indeed. You have come far and now your journey it at its end."

"Is this your country?" Lucy asked, somewhat surprised.

"No," he replied," My country lies beyond."

Caspian looked over the water at the land behind before the water rose a little higher, blocking the view.

"Is my father in your country?"

"You can only find that out for yourself, my son," Aslan told him," But know that if you continue, there is no return."

The others watched as Caspian stepped forward and moved over to the wall of water. He reached a hand out and touched the water before retracting it and looking back at them. He walked back to their surprise.

"You're not going?" Karen asked.

"I can't imagine my father would be very proud that I gave up what he died for. I've spent too long wanting what was taken from me and not what was given. I was given a kingdom and people."

He walked over to Aslan.

"I promise to be a better king."

Aslan smiled at him.

"You already are."

Aslan turned to the others and looked at them seriously.

"Children."

Lucy smiled, excited and ready to go to Aslan's country. But James laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked back and saw that the others had a different look from hers on their face.

"I think perhaps it's time we went home actually, Lu," Edmund said for them all.

"But I thought you all loved it here," she replied, confused.

Edmund looked back at Karen and took her hand. She smiled at him encouragingly.

"I do, but I love home and our family as well."

James took Lucy's hand.

"Our families…they need us."

Reepicheep suddenly cleared his throat and bounded forward to stand before Aslan. Taking off his feather, he bowed.

"Your Eminence, ever since I can remember I have dreamt of seeing your country. I've had many great adventures in this world, but nothing had dampened that yearning. I know I am hardly worthy, but with your permission I would lay down my sword for the joy of seeing your country with my own eyes."

It was suddenly somewhat sad to think about parting with Reepicheep, but the saddest of all was Eustace, who had gained a close friend out of the mouse. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes. Karen reached over and put a friendly arm around the younger boy's shoulders.

"My country was made for noble hearts such as yours," Aslan smiled," No matter how small their bearers be."

Reepicheep smiled and bowed again.

"Your Majesty."

"No one could be more deserving," Caspian grinned.

"Well, I-"

"It's true," Edmund added, with a small bow to the mouse.

"We'll miss you," Karen smiled.

"You're the bravest mouse I think I'll ever meet," James added as well.

Lucy was choked up as she went over to the mouse. Kneeling down she gave him a sad smile.

"May I?"

"Well…I suppose just this one-OH!"

She picked him up in a tight hug, which he laughed and returned.

"Goodbye, Lucy."

Placing him down, she moved back to the others as Eustace came forward slowly. He knelt down as well, tears wanting to fall badly.

"Don't cry," Reepicheep told him.

"I don't understand," Eustace said," I won't see you again. Ever."

Reepicheep smiled up at his friend.

"What a magnificent puzzle you are and a true hero. It has been my honor to fight beside such a brave warrior and a great friend."

With a last bow, Reepicheep ran over to the water wall as Eustace stood up and moved back to the others. He ran to a waiting boat, which was on the water ready to take him to Aslan's country. Reepicheep unsheathed his sword and stuck it in the ground.

"I won't be needing this."

He pushed the mouse-sized boat out into the water before jumping in and rowing it up the water. He looked back one more time as tears freefell from Eustace's eyes as he stood once again with Karen's arm around his shoulders. Lucy was being comforted by James in the same way. He was soon gone from their sight and Lucy turned to look at Aslan.

"This is our last time here, isn't it?" she asked him.

Edmund put a hand on Karen's shoulder as she looked up at him, sadly.

"Yes, it is," Aslan answered truthfully," You have grown up, my dear ones. Just like Peter and Susan."

All those from England, except from Eustace, moved over to Aslan.

"Will you visit us in our world?" James asked as Lucy put a hand on Aslan's face.

"I shall be watching you always."

"How?" Lucy asked, crying a little harder.

"In your world, I have another name. You must learn to know me by it. That is the very reason you were brought to Narnia. That by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

"Will we meet again?" Karen asked.

"Yes, dear one," he replied, looking over at her," One day."

Aslan turned to the wall of water and roared. The water suddenly created a tunnel for them. They all moved over to Caspian.

"You're the closest thing I have to family," he told them," And that includes you, Eustace."

The two smiled at each other.

"Thank you," Eustace said.

Caspian hugged Edmund first, then James, and Lucy. He hugged Karen last, which cause tears to finally fall down her face.

"You won't forget us now," she told him, letting him go.

"I could never do that."

"I wish I had talked to you more the last time I was here. We could have talked more, but you were only interested in Susan of course. You really are one of the best friends I've ever had, Caspian. Promise me you'll marry Lilliandial? Since you already like her?"

He smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Maybe."

She finally turned away from him to see Lucy giving Aslan a hug before James bowed to him. Karen went over and gave Aslan a hug herself. The four went and stood by the tunnel as Eustace lagged behind.

"Will I come back?" he asked Aslan.

"Narnia may yet have need of you," was the reply.

Eustace nodded his thanks and went over to the others. Aslan went and stood beside Caspian to watch them go. They all walked into the tunnel before looking back at the two they were leaving behind, most of them for good. The water moved together again before their eyes and before they knew it they were swimming upwards in water again, searching for the surface. They were suddenly back in the room that Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace had left from. Their clothes were dry and the water slowly decreased until it was all sucked back into a painting that lay on the floor of the room. Eustace's mom suddenly called up from downstairs.

"Eustace! Eustace! What are you doing up there? Jill Pole has dropped in for a visit."

They all looked around at each other. Edmund's hair was gelled back like he'd taken to wearing it recently, Lucy's and Karen's were both loose and everyone was back in their non-Narnian clothing. Looking around, Karen looked over at her brother with a smile.

"I guess Aslan gave us only one way back. I wonder what your parents will say when we leave, Eustace. And how cousin Eleanor will react when she sees us come through the front door from being home."

James smiled and the others laughed.

"Don't worry, my mom only just got home, I guess, and my dad doesn't notice anything if he's reading his paper," Eustace reassured her.

They all got off the floor as Eustace placed the painting back on the wall. As they left the room, Edmund kissed Karen goodbye, as she and James needed to head home. James also gave Lucy a kiss goodbye.

"I'll get to see you soon, though, right?" Lucy asked, hugging James.

"Of course. Every day if you wish."

"I'd like that," Edmund said, hugging Karen.

The three watched as the two left knowing full well that four years later, Edmund and Karen would get married and that three years after that, so would Lucy and James. And with that, the families would be forever merged by their love of one another and their desperate wish to protect the one they love till the day they die.


End file.
